Timeline / roadmap
Place bets on a calendar so sequencing and no-go windows are visible.
Related: Numbered process
When to use
Use when dates change the decision. Do not use for process steps with no calendar. Do not use Infographic decoration.
Guidelines
Four ticks fit. Call out the forbidden window in the source line or title.
Example
Harbor waves
Midwest in Oct, South in Jan, West after peak.
Sep
Playbook freezeOct
Wave 1 MidwestJan
Wave 2 SouthApr
Wave 3 WestDo not go live in November
Waves vs peak. Steal the no-go constraint in the title/source, not a Gantt wallpaper.
Rules
- Time flows left to right.
- Each tick has a date or month and a two-to-five-word event.
- If a blackout window exists, it is on the board.
- No more than six ticks.
User recipe
Pick family: Consulting exhibit first.
Insert objects:
- Text: title, kicker, source line (blackout window if applicable)
- Text: event markers with dates (4–6 events)
Assemble:
- Time flows left to right
- Each event has date and 2–5 word label
- Mark blackout window on board or in source line
- No more than six events
Anti-patterns
- A Gantt with 40 bars.
- “Q1–Q4” with no verbs.