Todo Magic

Working with Lists

Creating Lists

Creating lists in Todo Magic is beneficial if you are storing a lot of information. Creating a list allows you to collect and gather your thoughts into one "category" of items. As an extra bonus, you get awarded one magic point for assigning an item to a list, and two magic points for creating the list in the first place. Todo Magic also makes it super easy to find lists, so lists are for both navigation and organization.

Let's take you through some examples of lists:

  • You might have a list of favourite movies.
  • You might have a list of birthdays.
  • Or you might have a list of items to buy for your garden.

When creating a new list, you will be given the option to select the date type. There are these options available:

  • No Date - For simple collections without time constraints
  • Due Date - For tasks with deadlines
  • Anniversary - For recurring dates and memories

Navigating Lists

If you're working with a Due Date list, and when you use the mobile navigation menu (or sidebar on desktop), you'll see all your lists that current have unfinished todos.

List Naming and UI Constraints

Navigation Display

Lists appear in the left sidebar navigation, so list names must be concise. The UI needs to display them clearly without truncation.

Good List Names

  • "Favourite Movies"
  • "Birthdays"
  • "Garden Tasks"

List vs Todo Length

Lists (navigation): Keep names short and clear

Todos (main content): Can be much longer and descriptive

  • "Boating magazine renewal coming up - be sure to cancel!"
  • "Next time we visis grandma, let's be sure to take along some of Frankie's artwork!"
  • "Don't take phone to bed! Blue light causes sleep deprevation!"

List Types and Date Options

When to Use Each Date Type

No Date Lists

  • Simple collections like favorite books or movies
  • Reference lists that don't need time tracking
  • Idea collections and brainstorming notes
  • Personal inventories and catalogs

Due Date Lists

  • Perfect for project management and task tracking
  • Great for shopping lists with time-sensitive items
  • Ideal for work-related tasks and assignments
  • Useful for planning events or trips

Anniversary Lists

  • Track birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates
  • Remember important milestones and achievements
  • Document memorable experiences and events
  • Maintain a personal timeline of significant moments

For items that might be bound by a deadline, the due date type is applicable. Henceforth, for every new item you create, you will now have a choice to specify when this item is due.

For anniversary items, e.g. a birthday or the date that you went to go watch a show, choose anniversary date.

Best Practices

List Naming

  1. Be Clear: The name should immediately tell you what's in the list
  2. Be Consistent: Use similar naming patterns across related lists
  3. Avoid Redundancy: Don't repeat obvious words like "list" or "tasks"

List Management

Use the global search to quickly get to the right list Start Small: Begin with 2-3 lists to get comfortable Review Regularly: Clean up and reorganize as needed Stay Focused: Each list should have a single, clear purpose Be Flexible: Don't be afraid to rename or reorganize lists

Common Pitfalls

Over-naming: Don't make list names too descriptive - that's what todos are for Under-naming: Don't make names so short they're unclear Clutter: Creating too many lists can be overwhelming