Intro to Layouts

Video Placeholder Duration: 5-7 minutes Topics covered: Five layout types, when to use each layout, switching between layouts, layout-specific features

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What are Layouts?

Layouts are different ways to visualize your work items. Plane offers five layouts, each suited to different workflows and preferences. The same data, presented in ways that help you work more effectively.

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The Five Layouts

Layout	Best For
List	Quick scanning, simple task management
Board	Visual workflow, Kanban-style work
Calendar	Deadline tracking, date-based planning
Table	Detailed data, bulk editing
Timeline	Project planning, dependency management

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List Layout

The List Layout is a text-based view for scanning and organizing tasks quickly.

Features

• Compact, information-dense view
• Group by any property (state, priority, assignee, etc.)
• View parent-child work item relationships
• Drag-and-drop to reorder

Best For

• Quick project snapshots
• Simple task organization
• Teams who prefer minimal interfaces
• Rapid triage and review

📋 List View
├── 🔵 Todo
│   ├── WEB-123 Design login page
│   ├── WEB-124 Write API docs
│   └── WEB-125 Fix header bug
├── 🟡 In Progress
│   └── WEB-126 Implement auth
└── 🟢 Done
    └── WEB-121 Setup project

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Board Layout

The Board Layout is a Kanban-style view with cards arranged in columns.

Features

• Visual workflow representation
• Columns represent states (or any property)
• Drag-and-drop between columns to change status
• Subgrouping for additional categorization

Best For

• Visualizing work progression
• Agile/Kanban workflows
• Team standups and reviews
• Understanding bottlenecks at a glance

┌─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
│    Todo     │ In Progress │    Done     │
├─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│ ┌─────────┐ │ ┌─────────┐ │ ┌─────────┐ │
│ │ WEB-123 │ │ │ WEB-126 │ │ │ WEB-121 │ │
│ └─────────┘ │ └─────────┘ │ └─────────┘ │
│ ┌─────────┐ │             │             │
│ │ WEB-124 │ │             │             │
│ └─────────┘ │             │             │
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘

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Calendar Layout

The Calendar Layout displays work items by their due dates on a calendar.

Features

• Monthly/weekly calendar view
• Work items appear on their due dates
• Drag-and-drop to change due dates
• Visual deadline tracking

Best For

• Deadline-focused planning
• Scheduling work across time
• Understanding workload distribution
• Sprint planning

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Table Layout

The Table Layout is a spreadsheet-like interface for detailed data management.

Features

• Rows for work items, columns for properties
• Inline editing — click any cell to edit
• Keyboard navigation for quick updates
• Bulk editing capabilities
• Sort by any column

Best For

• Detailed data analysis
• Bulk updates and modifications
• Property management
• Exporting and reporting

┌────────┬──────────────────┬───────────┬──────────┬────────┐
│ ID     │ Title            │ State     │ Assignee │ Due    │
├────────┼──────────────────┼───────────┼──────────┼────────┤
│ WEB-123│ Design login     │ Todo      │ Alice    │ Jan 20 │
│ WEB-124│ Write API docs   │ Todo      │ Bob      │ Jan 22 │
│ WEB-125│ Fix header bug   │ In Progress│ Carol   │ Jan 18 │
└────────┴──────────────────┴───────────┴──────────┴────────┘

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Timeline Layout

The Timeline Layout is a Gantt chart-style view showing project progress over time.

Features

• Work items displayed as bars across time
• Start and due date visualization
• Dependency lines between tasks
• Critical path identification
• Drag to adjust dates

Best For

• Project planning and scheduling
• Managing dependencies
• Understanding project timeline
• Communicating timelines to stakeholders

Dependencies in Timeline

Work items with dependencies show connecting lines:

• Finish-to-Start — Task B can't start until Task A finishes
• Start-to-Start — Tasks start together
• Finish-to-Finish — Tasks must finish together

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Switching Layouts

Change your layout anytime:

1. Look for the layout switcher in the toolbar (usually top-right of the work items view)
2. Click the current layout icon
3. Select your preferred layout
4. The view updates instantly

Your layout preference is remembered per view.

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Layout Comparison

Feature	List	Board	Calendar	Table	Timeline
Quick scanning	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Visual workflow	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅
Date-based view	❌	❌	✅	❌	✅
Bulk editing	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Dependencies	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Drag-and-drop	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅

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Tips for Choosing a Layout

• Starting your day? → Use List or Board for quick overview
• Planning a sprint? → Use Calendar or Timeline
• Updating many items? → Use Table for bulk edits
• Running a standup? → Use Board to discuss workflow
• Managing deadlines? → Use Timeline to see the big picture

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Key Takeaways

• Plane offers five layouts: List, Board, Calendar, Table, and Timeline
• Each layout presents the same data differently
• Choose based on your current task:
  • List for quick scanning
  • Board for visual workflow
  • Calendar for deadlines
  • Table for bulk editing
  • Timeline for project planning
• Switch layouts anytime using the layout switcher

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Next Steps

Layouts show your data — but you can customize exactly what data appears. Learn about Display Options and Filters.

Next Lesson: Intro to Display Options and Filters