Use This App to Create a Visual Timeline for Any Project
Every once in a while you find an app that does one very specific thing very well. Timestory is just such an app: it allows you to quickly visualize any timeline. This can be useful for viewing history in context, making it a great learning tool if you’re, say, studying history. But Timestory is also useful for general planning. You can use it to visualize all the steps required for a long-term project and even include multiple proposals in the same timeline.
Timestory is created by one developer, Aaron Trickey , and lovingly crafted for Mac and iPad. The software isn’t exactly cheap: the Mac version currently costs $40 (upfront—no ongoing subscription). There is a two-week trial, which means you can try out the app before deciding whether you need to pay for it. But if you do, I think you’ll find it’s worth it.
Creating a timeline can be a little tricky to begin with, but for the most part it’s all about adding events. These can be ongoing “spans” with a start and end date, or “Points” that occur on a specific date.
You can create an event by clicking on the timeline or using the Quick Entry button, which I personally find a little more accurate. You can set your own colors and icons for each entry. You can also attach an image to any element on the timeline, allowing you to add visual context.
If this all sounds confusing, I recommend checking out the built-in tutorials, which include a couple of project management examples and a Mars timeline history example. They will give you an idea of what this application is capable of.
Once created, you can export your timelines to PNG or PDF, allowing you to directly share them with anyone or embed them in presentations or documents. Of course, this is not an application that most people will use every day, but when it comes in handy, it will be really useful.