Slope's organizational structure is so flexible to match whatever way your business organizes its creative work. That being said, any software tool can be daunting when it’s new and empty. So we talked to some of our most successful customers (making sure to represent a variety of different industry verticals) to find out how they structure their organization. From our findings, we saw 7 different ways companies were organizing their work in Slope.
Slope’s organizational structure lets you organize your work into Collections, which are further broken down into Projects that consist of Tasks. For each of the 7 examples, we’ll show you how each layer is purposed and share our two cents on why that method might be a good fit.
Keep in mind that not all of your collections need to be organized the same way - it all depends on the type of work you’re doing.
1. Campaign
Each collection is a campaign; each project is a content type for that campaign; each task is a piece of content as defined by the project’s intended type.
Good fit:
- If you produce multiple large campaigns simultaneously
- If you’re campaign is comprised of multiple types of content across different channels
Example Collection: Creative Humans Campaign
Project: Campaign Videos
To-do task: Book Guest for Interview 1
Content task: How Product Directors Stay Creative (Interview 1)
To-do task: Book Guest for Interview 1
Content task: How Product Directors Stay Creative (Interview 2)
Project: Campaign Emails
Content task: Interview 1 Email Graphics
Content task: Interview 2 Email Graphics
To-do task: Schedule Interview Newsletters
2. Repeating Series
Each collection is a series; each project is an installment or episode in the series; each task is a deliverable needed for the rollout of that installment.
Good fit:
- If you have a repeating series that can be templated out by project
- If you need to track an installment’s/episode’s milestones individually
Example Collection: How-To Series
Project: Episode 1
Content task: Creative Brief
Content task: Script
To-do task: License Music
Content task: Episode 1 (Full Video)
Project: Episode 2
Content task: Creative Brief
Content task: Script
To-do task: License Music
Content task: Episode 2 (Full Video)
Example Collection: On-the-Fly Interviews
Project: Episode 1
To-do task: Interview Questions
Content task: Episode 1 (Full Video)
Project: Episode 2
To-do task: Interview Questions
Content task: Episode 2 (Full Video)
3. Channel Type
Each collection is broken down by channel; each project is an initiative or set of deliverables for that channel and can be archived together when finished; each task is a deliverable or component to the project’s intended outcome.
Good fit:
- If you continually produce channel specific content (blog, social, youtube, etc) that isn’t a part of a series
Example Collection: Website
Project: Update Graphics
To-Do task: Update Style Guide
Content task: About Page Graphics
Content task: Product Page Graphics
Project: Customer Testimonials
To-do task: Schedule Redd Logistics Interview
Content task: Redd Logistics Testimonial (video)
To-do task: Schedule Quirk Solutions Interview
Content task: Quirk Solutions Testimonial (video)
Example Collection: Social
Project: Meet the Team
To-do task: Brainstorm with Sales Team
Content task: Meet the Sales Team! (video)
Content task: Meet the Sales Team! (thumbnail)
Project: Dogs!
To-do task: Send ‘Bring Your Dog to Work Day’ Reminder Email
Content task: Office Dogs! (video)
Content task: Office Breed Bracket (infographic)
4. Events
The collection is an event or non-repeating initiative; each project is a component of the event/initiative; each task is a deliverable needed to complete the project.
Good fit:
- If you are producing content around a one-off event like a conference or a PR push
Example Collection: Creative Operations Conference
Project: Presentation Collateral
Content task: Kick-off presentation (pdf)
Content task: Guest speaker intro/outro bumper animations (video)
Project: Signage
Content task: ‘Conference This Way!’ Sign
Content task: ‘Lunch This Way!’ Sign
Content task: ‘Registration This Way!’ Sign
To-Do task: Order Signs
5. Department
Each collection is broken down by department; each project is a content initiative for that department; each task is a deliverable needed to complete the project.
Good fit:
- If you’re organization’s departments are siloed and don’t have a need to interact with each other regularly
- For keeping members focused on their own department, limiting their visibility into unrelated work
- If each department has a dedicated creative
Example Collection: Internal Communications
Project: Weekly Town Hall
To-do task: Update Metrics
Content task: Metrics Graphic
Content task: Weekly Recap Video
Project: Employee Recognition
Content task: Q1 Recap Video
Content task: Email Graphic
Example Collection: Sales
Project: Q2 Promotions
Content task: Pre-Roll Ad (video)
Content task: Social Graphic
Content task: Email Graphic
Project: Email Videos
Content task: Intro Video
Content task: Trial Started Video
Content task: Trial Ended Video
Content task: Reconnect Video
To-do task: Upload Videos to CRM
6. Product Type Format
Each collection is a product category; each project is an individual product; each task is a deliverable associated with that product.
Good fit:
- If you produce content for a catalogue of products, i.e. consumer or manufacturing goods
Example Collection: Fans
Project: Tower Fan (Large)
Content task: Photos
Content task: Sell Sheet
Content task: Promotional Graphic
Project: Box Fan (Small)
Content task: Photos
Content task: Sell Sheet
Content task: Promotional Graphic
7. Client Format
Each collection is a client; each project is an initiative for that client; each task is a deliverable for those initiatives.
Good fit:
- If you’re an agency
- If you manage multiple external teams
- If you want to keep member access limited to their own collection
Example Collection: Cake-In-A-Cup Bakery
Project: Local Periodical Ads
Content task: Full Page Ad
Content task: Quarter Page Ad
Project: Baking Classes
Content task: Sign-up Sheet
Content task: Using Bran Recap Video
Content task: DIY Icing Recap Video
Example Collection: Everybody Eats Catering
Project: Newsletter
Content task: New Menu Items Overview Video
Content task: New Menu Items graphic
Project: Rotating Chef Spotlight
Content task: Chef Margie Ray Announcement Video
Content task: Chef Grady Carlson Announcement Video
