Task Dependency Diagram

When I make a relatively large scale system (here relatively large means something that takes more than one month to develop), I make a task dependency diagram like this.













Blue ones are tasks that has been done, whites are not, greens are milestones, usually tests. And I put a small icon that indicates what task I'm currently doing.












During the last project I drew it on an A3 paper and put it on the wall so that everybody could see what he was doing in the overall project picture and how one's work was related to others (each had an animal shaped magnet, I was monky ;). I did it so that nobody would feel as if he was a cog by showing the goal and having people recognize it was a team work but it was also good for a communication tool.

This task (pointing at a task) needs some try and error and he may need more time than expected, so after you have done your current work you jump here (pointing at a task) to prepare for it before he finishes this one (pointing at a task) and comes here (pointing at a task).

It really works.