Flow is a Flashy Fun Task Manager

Flow

Easy Task Manager with Cool Mobile App

I have four kids, a dog and rabbits. This should award me a "responsible adult" label, right? Now if I tell you I still need to-do lists on post-its to get myself through the day, do I still deserve my status?

The calendar is on the fridge. That means whenever something fun comes up during the day, I can't commit myself to anything: I have to check the family planner first.

All of this to say: if I mastered Flow, maybe I could accept a happy hour every once in a while without calling my partner to check on the fridge whether I've got a dog groomer appointment to deal with.

I am Flow-ffy

Exploring the app

Flow's main strength is its easiness. Login, create tasks, look at the kanban, hit the calendar, and you're off to the races. The below screenshot shows the interface with a sample task from the kanban board. No clutter, no needless buttons: Flow focuses on the fundamentals to great effect.

Flow's marketing features the calendar, yet I was somewhat disappointed with its presentation. Looking at the image below, you can feel the real estate misuse. Why are the lanes centred on my picture rather than the task description? I wasn't able to switch colours as well. Multiple colours help distinguish team members, but I would have liked to use something else than blue for a given criterion, such as the labels.

Flow's mobile app works seamlessly. The gallery exhibits the gist of the mobile experience, where users can review their tasks based on their agenda, list and project. I disliked Flow's insistence on Overdue tasks. Why would you want to land on the "Overdue tasks" tab on mobile? I am never late for projects! I want to review my priorities or the tasks I have a deadline within 24 hours! Overdue is a waste of the mobile app's most important real estate.

Recommended Use Cases

Any user can learn flow within minutes. The app will therefore work best with people who are not technology savvy. Many of us take kanban and task management for granted. But if you have elderly users, Flow can enable a smooth onboarding.

Limitations

Flow does the simple stuff that every other app does. I have no idea how it differentiates from the market. It is simple, cool and looks good. But I could not find its flavour. There is no amazing "Why didn't anybody think of that?" moment. No insightful business understanding. No "I've never seen that!" or "They so that better than anyone".

Pricing

Pricing reflects how Flow could find its niche with the "first-time users" of task management apps. The highest tier is a very affordable $10/user/month. I imagine how you can embed Flow in your volunteering group or a small cooperative. The big caveat is of course that for many of these people, Facebook will probably do a good enough job.  

Verdict

Flow is a fun and easy task manager to help you organize and collaborate for a reasonably low price. With a lack of differentiating features, Flow risks failing to stand out in a crowded market.