Industry
Content Management
Location
San Francisco, CA
Employees
2 full time, 20 partners/consultants world wide
Basecamp plan
Plus (35 active projects for $49/month)
Active project count
10-15
Basecamp color scheme
An interview with Iva Koberg
Iva Koberg is one of the founders of liveSTORYBOARD Inc. — a web content management service provider that helps companies and individual publishers keep their sites "One use of Basecamp we didn't anticipate, but absolutely love, is for internal software development: our road map, bug tracking, etc. We created geeky categories such as "enhancement - planned", "enhancement - nice-to-have", "feature request", "bug - high/medium/low", "not a bug", "unable to reproduce", "ready for testing", "verified fixed", tied messages and to to-dos to milestones, person responsible and we no longer use any other software to manage development."fresh with ease and confidence. liveSTORYBOARD CMS is the content management system of choice for web teams for creating and updating forward compatible, accessible and visitor-friendly web sites of all sizes.
So, let's get started. How did you first hear about Basecamp?
We had been looking for a simple and usable client project management tool to standardize on, so when we learned about Basecamp through Signal vs. Noise, we were anxious to try it out.
What were your first impressions of the product when you signed up? What keeps you using Basecamp?
We played around with a free single project account and immediately thought: "Hmm, this would be perfect for client X... Oh, and client Y... Wonder if client Z would use it?" We set up one of our larger, geographically dispersed projects with Basecamp and in about a week it became an indispensable communication tool. Other projects followed soon. What keeps us using Basecamp is the simple, yet flexible UI - Basecamp is very easy to get started with.
Were you using another product before or were you managing your projects manually (or with a combination of emails, post-it notes, notepads, etc.)? Was the transition difficult?
We used multiple methods for managing internal and external projects, such as extranets, project mailing lists, whiteboards (and digital pictures of them :), post-it notes, discussion forums, spreadsheets, notepads, bug trackers, calendar tools, IM logs, call logs... The simple Basecamp organization and UI provided the incentives and made the transition a breeze.
How are you using Basecamp? What are you using it for? What parts do you use most (messages, to-dos, milestones, files)? Have you used Basecamp in ways you hadn't anticipated?
We use Basecamp for external and internal projects, often with clients and partners around the world, as a single project info repository. Externally, a combination of messages and milestones is the most common use. The main reason we didn't use to-dos externally in the past was"Another unexpected use is my personal project, labeled "life" -- anything from shopping lists to gift ideas, from DVDs loaned to friends to the schedule of my dog's vet visits." that clients couldn't create them, but we probably will - now that that's possible.
One use of Basecamp we didn't anticipate, but absolutely love, is for internal software development: our road map, bug tracking, etc. We created geeky categories such as "enhancement - planned", "enhancement - nice-to-have", "feature request", "bug - high/medium/low", "not a bug", "unable to reproduce", "ready for testing", "verified fixed", tied messages and to to-dos to milestones, person responsible and we no longer use any other software to manage development.
Another unexpected use is my personal project, labeled "life" -- anything from shopping lists to gift ideas, from DVDs loaned to friends to the schedule of my dog's vet visits. This particular project has greatly decreased my post-it notes consumption, probably even covering the cost of a Basecamp subscription on its own.
How has Basecamp improved your communication with co-workers and clients?
Keeping information in a centralized, easily accessible location for all involved, in addition to the simple and intuitive interface has made Basecamp a very helpful tool for us. We certainly get fewer emails of the kind "I know we discussed this, but what was the decision?" or "What was that URL again?" For our clients, the main benefit of Basecamp is keeping team member with different project roles up to date. It's easier to have shorter, smaller group meetings more often, when there is a simple way for everyone else to keep up with developments.
Milestones, subtly reminding team members when their deliverables are due, have also been a nice communication tool. No one seems to like seeing their name and deliverable in red on the overview page - we have noticed that deliverables (usually of lesser importance/priority) that may have otherwise been pushed back are being addressed on time more often then not - wonder if we have Basecamp to thank for that too?
How many projects do you manage at once?
15 or so.
How many other people from your office are using Basecamp?
All, plus partners and "Keeping information in a centralized, easily accessible location for all involved, in addition to the simple and intuitive interface has made Basecamp a very helpful tool for us. We certainly get fewer emails of the kind "I know we discussed this, but what was the decision?" or "What was that URL again?"consultants.
How have your clients adjusted to using Basecamp?
Though our clients have diverse roles (authors and editors, designers, info architects, developers) and, naturally, different technology comfort levels — most have welcomed Basecamp with enthusiasm.
How has Basecamp affected your emailing habits? Are you emailing less than before?
We definitely use more Basecamp messages, often with notifications to team members over regular email with cc's.
Thanks so much for your time and insight. Now get back to work!
Thank you for the time we save with Basecamp!