Making of a timeline in Google Docs and Google Sheets

Introduction

In this blog, you will learn how to create a timeline in Google Docs and Sheets. Currently, timeline views are available in different editions of Google Workspace. 

By making a timeline in Google Docs and Google Sheets, you can view and access your tasks quickly and easily. Further, you can share your timeline with other staff of your organization. A timeline is an interactive visual representation of your projects or plans, which makes everyone aware of the schedules and dates associated with it. It helps you manage several parts of your project, like tasks, schedules, plans, cross-team collaborations, marketing campaigns, etc. 

Benefits of using timelines in your documents or spreadsheets

Here are the advantages of creating a timeline for Google Docs and Sheets –

• Provide a complete view of your project agenda

A timeline offers a complete view of your project’s details. That means it includes every task, event, and other important aspects of your project. As a result, team members are aware of when a specific task or action will be executed. So they can understand how everything will be organized and conducted harmoniously. Also, you can mention any potential risk in the timeline for more clarity.

• Keep track of your project

A timeline helps you to identify the progress of your project. As everyone gets insight into the project, they can know who is responsible for a task and maintain the deadline. Thus, a timeline is helpful to maintain accountability within the team. 

• Efficient resource management

By creating a timeline, you can set deadlines for every task. Accordingly, you can manage your resources to complete those tasks. For example, you can decide how much time, money, and tools are needed to reach your goal. 

•  Team members can access your timeline at any time

Once you have created and shared a timeline in Google Docs or Google Sheets, people can access it anytime from anywhere. Thus, it helps to create continuous communication among your team members. Also, they can collaborate on the timeline if required. 

Creating a timeline in Google Docs

Google Docs, the cloud-based application, provides easy formatting, sharing, and collaborating opportunities for users. With the flexible formatting options, you can customize your timeline by using colors, fonts, etc. Then, by sharing with others, you can enable collaboration with your team without any version control. Moreover, it has several features and tools that make it easy to create a timeline. So, let’s learn how to create a timeline in Google Docs.

A step-by-step guide to creating a timeline in Google Docs

To make a timeline in Google Docs, you should follow these steps -

1. First, open a blank document in Google Docs. Click Untitled document and give a name to the document.
2. Now, you have to set your page orientation as the default landscape. So, go to File > Page setup
3. Select Pages > Landscape > Set as default > OK for timeline in Google Docs
4. Then, Go to Insert > Drawing > + New.
5. Next, click Line icon to draw a straight line. Then you can format the line by applying customized dash type, weight, start, and endpoints. 
6. After that, click T (Text box tool). Now click a spot below or above the horizontal line.
7. Finally, type a task, date, or event. Also, you can resize or reposition the text box, if needed. For this, you need to drag the sides or corners of the text box. 
8. You can copy and paste the text box to duplicate it as many times as you want to do it. (optional)

Customizing your timeline in Google Docs

You can customize your timeline in Google Docs by following the steps mentioned below –

1. Choose a color to format your timeline as per your choice. If you want to apply the same changes on multiple items simultaneously, then press and hold the CTRL key and click your target items one after another to select them. Then, you can use text color and highlight color to change the font color and highlight the text, respectively.
2. Now, you have to connect your task titles and their associated time points with a horizontal line. So, you have to chooseLine tool to draw the vertical lines. The vertical lines will automatically adjust and connect the task titles and time points. Finally, Save and close.
3. Final view of for timeline in Google Docs

Collaborating on a timeline in Google Docs

Google Docs allows real-time collaboration on your document, so you can easily enable collaboration for your timeline. Simply click the Share button to give the other team members access to your document. If you want to collaborate with them, then give them editing permission. So, select the Editor option from the right side of their email address. Otherwise, just permit them to be a Viewer or Commenter. 

In this way, you can give access permission to an individual, multiple people, or a group. When you provide editing permission for multiple people, they can collaborate simultaneously from different places. 

Creating a timeline in Google Sheets

Like Google Docs, you can create a Google Sheets project timeline template, too. For this, you need to select a range of cells to enter your data. Then, you have to create a graphical representation of your data with Google Sheets. You will get customization and collaboration options for your Google Sheets timeline.  

Step-by-step guide to creating a timeline in Google Sheets

Follow these steps to create Google Sheets project timeline template -

1. First, select a Blank sheet from the Template Gallery. 
2. Then create a column to enter the key tasks or events for your project. 
3. In the next column, enter the due date for each task or event.
4. Now create another column with position or plotting numbers. These numbers will help to connect your tasks with vertical lines through timeline graphs.
5. Next, select the data from the table and go to Insert > Chart. 
6. At this step, you will find a Chart editorpane on the right side. Go to  Setup > Chart Type > Column chart and click the downward arrow.   
7. Visualization after selecting the chart type for Google Sheets project timeline template
8. Now, you have to format your Google Sheets project timeline template. It is beneficial to organize the tasks if they are overlapped or the entire graphics look too compact and complicated. So, just click on the chart area, select it, and then drag to adjust the height and width. 
9. Then you can adjust the vertical axis to make your uppermost task visible. For this, you need to go to the Customize tab > Vertical axis from the Chart editor. 
10. Here, you need to enter the value in the Min and the Max field. So, enter 0 in the Min field and enter a value in Max which is higher than your plotting points. In our case, it’s 6.   
11. After that, you can set the Major count for your Vertical axis from the Chart editor. By doing this, you can effectively organize the horizontal gridlines on your graph. You will find this option from the Gridlines and ticks. Similarly, you can set a Minor count for the Horizontal axis. It will help to clear your vertical gridlines view of your graph. 

Customizing your timeline in Google Sheets

Moreover, you can customize your Google Sheets project timeline template with the Customize tab from the Chart editor. So, let’s see which types of customization are applicable in the Google Sheets timeline. 

So, if you want to change the colors of your tasks, then follow these steps -

1. Go to the Customize > Series from the Chart editor. With the series elector, choose the task you want to change the color. 
2. Select a new shade for that task under Color. 

If you want to change the title of your timeline -

1. Go to Customize > Chart & axis titles from Chart editor.
2.  Type your preferred title in the Title text field. Set the desirable size, font, and color for the title.
3. Next, you should adjust your title section so that it doesn't look as messy. Thus you have to go to the Legend section of the Customized tab. Then, change the Position to Left, Right, or Top, etc. 

Collaborating on a timeline in Google Sheets

You can configure collaboration for the Google Sheets project timeline template similarly as you have done for the Google Docs timeline. So, simply click the Share icon from the top right corner. Then, provide editing permission for the recipient of your timeline template for Google Sheets. 

Tips and best practices for creating timelines in Google Docs and Google Sheets

• Always keep your timeline simple. Don’t make it too messy with a huge chunk of information.
• Ensure you have entered accurate values for your tasks and dates.
• Try to use the same size and shape for your tasks/events.
• To make your timeline more aesthetic and readable, use a contrasting color for the shapes and texts.
• Ensure all the shapes and touch points are connected well. It will give a more professional look.

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Conclusion

By using some simple steps, you can create timelines in Google Docs and Google Sheets. With the help of these timelines, you can manage and execute your tasks better and efficiently. As a result, it reduces the scope of communication laps within the team and makes for a more transparent and happy work culture.

Also, utilize the advantages of Foresight. So, try a 14-day free trial of it.

You can read more articles related to this one, such as -  Customize your timeline view, etc.