Producteev: The Online Collaboration Tool for You?

In an ongoing "get things done" series on this ADD/ADHD Product Review Blog, I’m going to be testing out digital apps and software that claim to help with task and time management, because structuring my days is often no easier than building a ship in a bottle with my toes.

This week I gave the much-buzzed-about Producteev a crack. Unlike the other apps and online tools aimed at organizing that I’ve reviewed, Producteev puts an extra emphasis on collaboration, which means I might have to actually make some friends to get the full effect. Here’s to hoping the old man downstairs responds to my slumber party invite!

App Overview: Billed as “the only task-management application that works the way you do,” Producteev (alternately known as Producteev Two) mashes together the best features of other existing task-management apps and makes them accessible with a single tool. Or so it says! (Cue skeptical-sounding music.)

The Good: Well, if you’re a technologically indulgent person, then this one’s going to connect the dots of your multi-platform world. Producteev lets you assign and manage tasks via e-mail, IM services, Twitter, Facebook, and more, meaning that an organized life can be yours, no matter where your brain chooses to scatter. The service is also free for “teams” of up to three, meaning you can either A) collaborate with minimal disorder or B) recruit a willing accountability-buddy to monitor your task progress or lack thereof. Sound good? Well there’s more! The interface is really clean and unintimidating, which means that you’ll only use a paltry amount of attentive horsepower trying to figure it out.  

The Bad: If you’re not a gadget geek or someone who’s always on the go, then Producteev’s emphasis on accommodating mobile lifestyles kind of goes to waste. If you’re like me, organizing tasks needs to be a somewhat stationary affair, and as far as sitting down and hashing things out at a laptop goes, I’ve used better apps (Todoist, in particular, comes to mind). Plus, it works intimately with your e-mail, meaning you have to have a strong functional grasp of both platforms, which admittedly seems a tad bit dizzying to me. 

The Grade: B. This one seems hit or miss depending on your lifestyle, so I really can’t fault it for not fully satiating my personal ADD/ADHD quirks. But if you’re a person whose smartphone is an extension of your soul, then may Producteev enter your innermost sanctum and breathe neatly arranged functionality throughout your entire being.

Details: Producteev is free but also offers upgraded versions for a price. Learn more at Producteev.com.