Summarize upcoming plans or share past accomplishments via a horizontal timeline
Ready to transform chaos into clarity? Mural’s project timeline template is your secret weapon for turning scattered plans into smooth, manageable schedules. Say goodbye to missed deadlines, and hello to organized success. With just a few clicks, you'll have a clear roadmap to guide your project from start to finish.
Why juggle deadlines when you can master them? Our timeline template helps you visualize every milestone and task, keeping you on track and ahead of the curve. You can also add highlights and milestones so your team knows exactly what to expect — and when. Get ready to conquer your projects with confidence.
A project timeline template is a tool that helps you plan, organize, and track the stages and tasks of a project over time. It’s a visual diagram, structured like a Gantt chart or linear schedule, that outlines key milestones, deadlines, and dependencies your team needs to know. This way, you can skip the meetings in favor of a concrete timeline, helping the one in five knowledge workers who spend 11+ hours in meetings to avoid another time block.
By using a timeline and milestones template, you can map out each phase of the project, assign responsibilities, and monitor progress, ensuring that everything stays on track and within the allotted time frame. Get started on your own project timeline template here.
A project plan timeline template helps keep your project organized and visible from a high level, making it easier for your team to stay on the same page.
Because everyone has visibility into when everything is due, a project timeline template ensures everyone is accountable for their portion of the project.
Seeing progress and upcoming milestones can be a huge motivation for your team, keeping momentum going throughout the project.
Because your timeline is visual, you can identify potential bottlenecks or issues before they become major problems, allowing for proactive adjustments.
Start by outlining the overall objectives and deliverables of the project.
What are the major milestones or phases of the project? Identify them because they are significant points or achievements that mark the completion of a major segment of the project.
For each task and milestone, assign start and end dates. Estimate how long each task will take and when it should be completed.
Now, the fun part — load tasks, milestones, and dates into your timeline. Don’t be afraid to make it look as fun and engaging as your team is. Need to get your creative juices flowing? Here’s an example we’ve whipped up for you.
Allocate tasks to team members, ensuring everyone knows their roles and deadlines. Send it out to your project team so they’re fully aware of their roles in the project.
Set clear objectives: Clarity makes every project move more smoothly, so make sure that all your ducts are in a row before getting started.
Teamwork makes the dream work: Encourage team members to add their insights and updates to the timeline so they can stay aligned and accountable.
Integrate your other project tools: Mural can talk to your other tools, like your project management software or calendar apps, to streamline your workflow and ensure that your timeline aligns with other project elements.
Project timelines come in a lot of formats, each designed for different types of projects and management styles. Here are some common types:
Gantt Chart: A bar chart showing tasks, durations, and dependencies over time. This is ideal for complex projects with many tasks.
Milestone Chart: Highlights key milestones and deadlines. Best for tracking major deliverables and project goals.
Kanban Board: Visual board with columns for different stages (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done). Perfect for Agile projects and managing tasks flexibly.
Timeline View: A simple linear representation of tasks and deadlines. Great for straightforward schedules and project phases.
Roadmap: High-level overview of project phases and strategic goals. Useful for long-term planning and communicating big-picture milestones.
PERT Chart: Flowchart showing tasks and dependencies, helping estimate project completion time. Suited for complex projects with detailed task interdependencies.
Critical Path Method (CPM): Identifies the longest sequence of dependent tasks and their impact on project timing. Ideal for optimizing project completion.
Swimlane Diagram: Flowchart dividing tasks into lanes for different teams or departments. Useful for managing cross-functional tasks.
Calculating a project timeline involves estimating the duration of tasks, understanding dependencies, and organizing them in a way that shows the project’s progression. Here’s how you can figure those timelines out:
List tasks: Break the project into all necessary tasks and their details.
Estimate durations: Determine how long each task will take and add buffer time.
Identify dependencies: Note which tasks depend on others and sequence them accordingly.
Set dates: Assign start and end dates based on task durations and dependencies.
Create and adjust: Enter tasks and dates into a timeline tool, then review and tweak as needed.
Mural is the only platform that offers both a shared workspace and training on the LUMA System™, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.