Trello live
After six years running as a web app, Trello launched a desktop app last week.
The implications of this are significant.
Let’s start with the obvious
Trello becomes a far less noisy tool in a desktop application. In the browser, individual boards compete for your attention as several tabs in a browser, and that’s before you count the other tabs you keep open at work. Now, the project management space is quieter, less cluttered and more free of distraction.
You can also better focus the project management environment.
As with most desktop apps, Trello can send you notifications about updates that immediately pop up on your screen. Furthermore, you can also set “priority boards” that will automatically load when you startup the desktop app.
Desktop app of the 21st century
Additionally, workflow pace within the tool will improve, thanks to options like Apple Touch Bar interface and keyboard shortcuts.
According to the blog post announcing the new feature, you will also be able to set custom keyboard shortcuts, in addition to the standard shortcuts built into the app.
Winning integration
Finally, users will find improved integration of Trello with other desktop apps. In the same announcement for the desktop app, they also announced an integration with BitBucket, Dropbox Paper, appear.in and Confluence Cloud.
This integration would allow cards to be embedded within these tools.
Additionally, the company created an integration with video conference provider Stride that would allow conferences to be started straight from the Trello tool. One would imagine such integrations will deepen and widen over the course of the year.
What gives
So, why after six years is this feature finally rolling out? Much of it is a result of Atlassian’s acquisition of Trello. Michael Pryor, co-founder and CEO, was quoted saying “under Atlassian, we have the resources to bring things to market faster and can deliver some of our most exciting features yet, like the desktop app.”
Potential to be awesome or to bust
One possible issue with a desktop app might be its speed. Desktop apps like Slack are reportedly maligned for their excessive use of RAM. If the Trello app doesn’t avoid this problem, it will make the tool much more difficult to use, despite the improved functionality.
Only time will tell how that will work out. Until then, as an avid Trello user, this author looks forward to exploring what the new app offers!
#DesktopTrello
