Review of The Action Method iPhone App


The Action Method for the iPhone is one of the best project management and organization apps out there. The Action Method is part of the popular creative network Behance, and founder Scott Belsky has a chart-topping book titled “Making Ideas Happen.”  Aside from the web application of the Action Method, Behance also have a paper version of the Action Method, and a yearly conference about making ideas happen. The Behance team know a thing or two about productivity and project organization, and the Action Method app doesn’t disappoint.

The Action Method

Action MethodThe Action Method app is a free app based on the Action Method, a simple project management system similar to Getting Things Done (GTD).

The Action Method iPhone app is free and based off of the online Action Method application. You can get a free Action Method plan if you’re just wanting to kick the tires. (Premium plans cost $12 a month, and are well worth the coin if you’re working on a team.)

Small business owners can set their entire teams up with this productivity system for only $12 a month.. The Action Method is great for teams and multiple people working on projects. It allows you to keep tabs on what everyone else in the organization is working on and what needs to be done next. Once you download the application and link up your Action Method Online account, you can start creating projects, groups, and action steps that need to be completed within each project. If you’ve already made these using the online application, (which is what I’d recommend), then syncing is a snap. The interface is logical and beautiful, which is helpful when doing something as tedious as project management. The app loads quickly, syncs quickly, and doesn’t get in your way, which is what you want most from an iPhone app.

Things I Love About the Action Method app

  • Beautiful interface. All of the action method products are beautifully designed, and the iPhone app is no exception. Sleek and elegant.
  • Quick syncing. One thing I noticed right away is that the app syncs with the webserver continuously, so you’re never downloading or uploading large chunks of data at once. The process is very fast, whether you’re connected to wifi or not.
  • Quick search. When you’re working on an interface like the iPhone that doesn’t have a lot of screen real-estate, sometimes it’s easier to search instead of scroll. The searching function on the Action Method app is really fast, which makes the application that much more useful.
  • Add an action step anywhere. The app has a button that’s on nearly every screen that allows you to add an action step anywhere. No need to return to a designated page.
  • Focus. The Focus screen allows you to designate up to 5 action steps as your “focus”. That way you can quickly prioritize what needs to get done quickly.
  • Lots of functionality. Many iPhone apps that are based on web applications often have less features than their online counterparts. Not so with the Action Method app. You can add and edit projects and actions easily, which is about 90% of an iPhone users needs.
  • The Advisor. The application even has an Advisor page that allows you to get a snapshot of your activity. It shows you stats on things like idle action steps (older than 30 days), overdue action steps, project bottlenecks, and other things. The Advisor is really useful for getting birds-eye view of your project management.

Things I Wish the Action Method app Had

  • References and Backburner items. As of right now, the application doesn’t show you your References (project materials) and Backburner items (actions for later). It would be great to be able to view those, as well as create and edit them from the iPhone.
  • Focus on the online version. Interestingly, the web version doesn’t include the Focus application, which I really find useful. It would be great if the online version synced the focus lists too.

Overall, there really isn’t much that I wish the application had. It’s very feature-rich and useful from the start. The Action Method iPhone application is a great resource for any small business owner needing to keep tabs on what’s getting done within the company. The application is also fantastic for the solo entrepreneur who’s only wanting to collect and store everything that needs to be done for a project. Any small biz can find the application and the Action Method system useful to their everyday functions. After all, what business doesn’t want to get more stuff done?

5 Comments ▼

Glen Stansberry Glen Stansberry is the co-founder of Howdy, a web application that helps improve site conversions for small businesses.

5 Reactions
  1. Glen Stansberry,

    I will test this application a.s.a.p. I have been playing around with several productivity systems during the years. It started when I read David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done in the 90’s. I want to create my own personalized method that is simple, easy to use so I can be able to stick to it. It will develop during time. My “code name” for it is: F.I.X IT! 😉 I will soon write another blog post about this topic.

  2. James J. Allen

    Great write up. The iPhone is truly awesome and I don’t like being without it. This time last year I had jumped in a pool with my iPhone and it was dead. I had to wait 9 days before I was able to buya new one. The phone I had was a cheap go phone. I really love all the apps that can be downloaded to the iPhone. The best part about the iPhone to me is the ability to check emails on the go. Thanks for the information.

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