Here at Bad Feather we’re huge fans of the various Google apps. A recent topic of interest is the fact that we manage our studio operations using Google Sites. We’ve set up a web-based project management and collaboration system using a Google Site in combination with Google Docs and Google Calendar. The added bonus to all of these services being interconnected is that they are free (sorry BaseCamp, but you can’t top that). So here it is, an overview of a few of the hot features of Google Sites and some creative ways we’ve come to use them:
The Google Sites service allows you to build your own internal site without any need for a domain name. However, you can map it to a custom domain such as projectmanager.yourstudiourl.com. It is password protected by your Google account, and easily accessible by anyone the administrator invites to join. Everyone involved with the Google Site can sign up to get email alerts when updates have been made to pages; that way everyone is always on the same page (ha)! There are different page options, including a basic web page, an announcement page, a file cabinet page, a list page and the catch-all dashboard. Every page in your site is designated individually so you can tailor it to the content that will be included. Here is a complete definition of each page.
The Dashboard is the first thing we see when we login, and one of our favorite features. You can customize the dashboard to pull from any of the pages you’ve set up within the site, as well as from your Docs and Calendars. Continue reading →