EZ_AI
Helping project managers save time with basic AI tools
Project managers deal with timelines, meetings, resource allocation, and deadlines. After spending time working with project-management tools myself, I became interested in how AI could help streamline some of those everyday bottlenecks.
I wanted to create a short, approachable introduction to AI tools that could save project managers time on the work they already do.
Analysis
AI has quickly moved from emerging technology to something embedded in our everyday workflows. For project managers, the challenge is partly understanding what AI can do—but more importantly, it’s figuring out where AI can save time without creating another complicated tool.
I wanted learners to move beyond “What is AI?” and toward a more useful question: Where could AI make my work easier?
I decided to create a short course showing project managers where a few basic AI tools could actually fit into their workflow.
My own experience working with project management tools gave me a starting point. I had seen how quickly projects could become unwieldy, and I was interested in whether AI could help streamline some of that chaos.
I started by researching commonly used AI tools for project managers and building a list of possibilities.
Then I spoke with two project-management subject-matter experts:
One who incorporated AI heavily into their workflow
One who didn't use AI at all
Development
With the first, I explored which tools were most useful and how difficult they were to learn and use. With the second, I focused on the problems and bottlenecks they encountered in their day-to-day work.
Bringing those perspectives together helped shape three learning needs:
Identify time-consuming tasks project managers deal with regularly
Understand which basic AI tools can help streamline those tasks
Apply those tools to realistic examples of project-management work
Rather than simply teach AI for its own sake, I decided the goal should be to help learners recognize where the technology could actually be useful. That distinction shaped the course.
I created a scenario around Rebecca, a project manager dealing with timelines, meeting notes, and looming deadlines. An AI mentor, EZ, introduces her to three tools and guides her through incorporating them into her workflow.
I kept the course intentionally short and focused, with practical examples that connect each tool to a specific project-management task, like meeting notes or project timelines.
The scenario gave the technology a reason to exist. Instead of presenting three unfamiliar tools and asking learners to remember what each one does, the experience connects each tool to a problem Rebecca is already trying to solve. The result is a short, focused introduction to three practical tools:
ChatGPT
Explore how generative AI can help with everyday project-management tasks.Otter.ai
See how AI-powered transcription can make meetings and notes easier to manage.ClickUp AI
Explore how AI can work within a project-management platform to streamline tasks and workflows.
I developed the course in Rise 360, using Canva for the visual design and Google Docs and Google Slides for planning and storyboarding.
Because the course was designed as a concise introduction rather than a deep technical training, I focused on keeping the content approachable and the examples practical.
The final experience follows Rebecca as she encounters common project-management challenges and explores how three AI tools can help her work more efficiently.
I deployed the finished course to Netlify. The course functioned smoothly after deployment, so no technical adjustments were needed following the initial upload.
I think the most important design decision was starting with the problems project managers were already trying to solve.
That shifted the course from an introduction to AI into a way for learners to recognize where unfamiliar technology might fit into work they already understand.
AI can be overwhelming. It’s more approachable when learners can see how a specific tool connects to something they already need to accomplish.
And honestly, that principle extends beyond AI. When introducing any unfamiliar technology, the goal is to help people understand where it fits, and how they can use it with confidence.