So you've started building a doc to run your team's project, but you're not sure if it has all it needs to be ready for all of them? Check off this handy list of 6 things to do, and you'll be in great shape.
1. Add a welcome page to your doc at the very top
Give your doc a 'Welcome' page at the very top to help your team get oriented. Include a few elements:
- Purpose of the doc - what project or goal are you tracking
- Team - who created it (you!), and who are the key participants
- Subpages of this intro will show already, but adding links to other top-level Pages can also be helpful
- A 'last updated' timestamp (=thisDocument.Modified())
2. Organize your Pages list
A cluttered pages list can confuse new doc users, so organize yours like you'd tidy your place before a houseguest arrives. Include top-level pages by team, with subpages underneath. Delete old or outdated pages entirely, or move them to an 'Archive' page at the bottom. Keep your 'big' data tables in an 'Admin' page, and only create shorter, streamlined views further 'up' the list.
3. One page, one purpose
You can create, and organize, a lot of pages and subpages - so don't combine purposes in any single one. Important text sitting underneath a huge data table will go unread - pull it out and put it in its own page. Rule of thumb: if you can't describe the goal of a given page in a sentence or two, split it up into multiple pages!
Also, for important pages, you can add instructions at the top, highlighted or with call-out emojis like Steps 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ so your teammates know exactly what they need to do there.
4. Add views, not tables
If you find yourself creating multiple tables with the same columns except for one (e.g. "Project 1 Tasks," "Project 2 Tasks"), you probably just need one table with views instead. Combine all your like-minded data in a single table with a new attribute (column) for the difference. You can always group by that column to see the difference, and create a separate view by project.
5. Got a big data table? Add a dropdown menu (AKA control)!
Controls are handy little objects you can insert into your doc to easily manipulate table data. Filter a giant customer interactions table with a calendar date picker, or show only tasks from a particular team. More on controls here.
6. User-based formulas are everyone's friend (kind of literally)
If you want a number of individuals to see only their tasks or items, but you don't want to create dozens of pages, give the User() formula a whirl - it will filter your table based on the currently logged-in user, without stepping on other users' toes (or rows).