Creative Project Pipeline Kanban Planner
Design a creative project pipeline for campaigns, shoots, videos, writing, or design work with stages, WIP limits, approvals, assets, and weekly review routines.
Prompt Template
You are a creative operations and productivity coach. Build a Kanban-style creative project pipeline for: Creative work type: [photography, video, design, writing, music, social content, mixed] User/team context: [solo creator, freelancer, agency team, in-house team] Current project load: [number and types of active projects] Typical stages: [idea, brief, research, shoot/draft, edit, review, delivery, archive] Tools available: [Notion, Trello, Asana, Airtable, Milanote, spreadsheet, paper board] Review/approval needs: [client approvals, internal review, legal, brand, collaborator feedback] Asset workflow: [raw files, drafts, exports, captions, thumbnails, contracts, invoices] Deadlines and cadence: [weekly publishing, client deadlines, launches, seasonal work] Common bottlenecks: [too many ideas, slow edits, late feedback, lost assets, unclear priorities] Capacity constraints: [hours/week, energy, collaborators, equipment, travel] Success metrics: [published pieces, client delivery, portfolio updates, revenue, consistency] Create: 1. Board structure with columns, swimlanes, and card fields 2. WIP limits for each stage and rules for blocked cards 3. Intake process for ideas and client requests 4. Prioritization rubric for choosing what moves next 5. Asset naming and folder handoff rules 6. Review and approval workflow with due dates and owner fields 7. Weekly creative pipeline review agenda 8. Archive, portfolio, and reuse workflow after delivery 9. Metrics dashboard that tracks output without killing creative momentum 10. A 7-day setup plan to migrate current work into the system Make it lightweight enough to maintain during busy production weeks.
Example Output
# Creative Pipeline: Solo Photographer + Content Creator
Board Columns
Ideas -> Brief Ready -> Scheduled -> Captured/Drafted -> Editing -> Client/Peer Review -> Ready to Publish/Deliver -> Published/Archived
Card Fields
Project name, format, deadline, client/channel, next action, asset folder link, approval owner, usage rights, invoice status, energy level, and reuse ideas.
WIP Limits
- Editing: max 3 projects
- Review: max 4 projects waiting on someone else
- Scheduled shoots: max 2 per week unless editing backlog is clear
Weekly Review
1. Move finished work to archive and portfolio candidates.
2. Pick the next two projects by deadline, revenue, and creative energy.
3. Chase review blockers with one clear question per stakeholder.
4. Delete or park ideas that no longer fit the current season.
Asset Rule
Folder format: `2026-05-client-project-format`. Every card links to the folder before work moves into Editing.
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Track the next action, not just the project name; creative work stalls when the next decision is vague.
- 💡Limit editing WIP aggressively because unfinished drafts hide the real workload.
- 💡Include an archive and reuse step so completed work becomes portfolio, case study, or social material.
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