Asana is a web and mobile platform for work management, aiding teams in organizing, tracking, and managing their tasks and projects. Asana offers features such as project creation, task assignment, deadline setting, communication tools, reporting, file attachments, calendars, and goal tracking. It has received positive reviews for its user-friendly design and productivity-enhancing capabilities. Asana also provides an open API for third-party integrations and has expanded its offerings with features like Asana Partners for cross-platform integration and capabilities focused on generative artificial intelligence.
What is its purpose?
Asana's primary purpose is to facilitate collaboration and streamline workflow management for teams. It aims to help teams organize their work, assign tasks, set deadlines, communicate effectively, track progress, and achieve their goals more efficiently. Essentially, Asana serves as a centralized platform where team members can coordinate their efforts, stay informed about project status, and collaborate seamlessly to achieve desired outcomes.
How do I use it?
To access Asana, you can sign up for an account on their website or download the mobile app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Once you have an account, you can start using Asana by creating projects, adding tasks, assigning them to team members, setting deadlines, and collaborating with your team. Asana provides a user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation, making it easy to get started. They also offer tutorials, help articles, and customer support to assist users in using the platform effectively.
Why would I use it?
You might use Asana for several reasons:
Team Collaboration: Asana enables seamless collaboration among team members, allowing everyone to work together on projects, share updates, and communicate effectively.
Task and Project Management: It provides a centralized platform for organizing tasks and projects, assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, and tracking progress, which helps in staying organized and meeting goals.
Workflow Optimization: Asana streamlines workflows by providing tools for prioritizing tasks, automating repetitive processes, and ensuring clarity on project statuses, which ultimately boosts productivity.
Communication: With features like comments, @mentions, and notifications, Asana facilitates efficient communication within teams, reducing the need for lengthy email threads or meetings.
Transparency and Accountability: Asana enhances transparency by making project details visible to all team members, promoting accountability, and fostering a sense of ownership over tasks and goals.
Integration: Asana integrates with various tools and platforms, such as Google Workspace, Zoom, and Figma, allowing seamless connectivity and enhancing the overall workflow efficiency.
Asana offers a free membership with paid alternatives, to see what features are enabled in free membership please visit the link: https://asana.com/pricing
Security Concerns
Yes
Technical Support
Vendor
Platform(s)
Any platform. Requires a modern web browser. Apps are available for IOS and Android.
Ratings Information
CITL Rating
Select any category below for details about the criteria for each rating.
Functionality:
★★☆
Scale:★★★
Works Well. Asana supports both small and large classes. It allows for the creation of various teams and projects, facilitating the management of different departments, courses, or research groups. Instructors and students can form sub-groups for specific projects or study groups, while customizable fields and tags help organize tasks and assignments efficiently across the university.
Ease of Use:★★★
Works Well. Asana features a clean, intuitive interface that both instructors and students find easy to navigate. It offers drag-and-drop functionality, customizable project views (such as lists, boards, and calendars), and straightforward task management, which enhance usability. Additionally, users can personalize their dashboards and notifications, making it adaptable to individual preferences and needs in an academic setting.
Minor Concerns. Asana offers a range of help documentation, including guides, tutorials, and a community forum. While these resources are comprehensive, direct, campus-based technical support is not inherently part of Asana’s offering.
Tech Support/Help Availability (for Students):★★☆
Minor Concerns. While Asana provides help documentation and resources that students can access, it might not be specifically tailored to university students' needs or integrated into campus support systems.
Hypermediality :★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana primarily relies on textual communication, task lists, and attachments, which limit its hypermediality compared to platforms that support more diverse media types like video conferencing or interactive presentations. While users can attach files, links, and comments to tasks, the platform's structure is primarily task-focused and may not facilitate dynamic, non-sequential engagement with course material. Integrating additional tools for richer media experiences might be necessary to enhance hypermediality within the academic context.
Accessibility:
★★★
Accessibility Standards:★★★
Works Well. Asana is designed with accessibility in mind and adheres to the W3C WCAG 2.0 standards, ensuring it is usable by individuals with disabilities. The platform includes features such as keyboard shortcuts, screen reader compatibility, and adjustable text sizes, making it accessible to a wide range of users. This compliance with established accessibility guidelines makes Asana a suitable tool for use in a university setting, accommodating the diverse needs of students and instructors.
User-focused participation:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana offers a range of features that support diverse user needs, such as customizable workflows, multiple project views, and task management tools. However, it may have limitations in fully addressing the varied literacies and capabilities of all students. While it is user-friendly and supports collaboration, some students may find it challenging to use without additional guidance or training, particularly those less familiar with project management tools. Therefore, while Asana enhances participation, it may require supplementary support to fully engage all learners.
Required Equipment:★★★
Works Well. Asana can be accessed via common devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones, which are typically available to university students and instructors. No specialized equipment is needed to use Asana effectively; a standard internet connection and a web browser or the Asana app are sufficient. This makes Asana highly accessible and easy to integrate into the university environment without additional financial investment in equipment.
Technical:
★★★
Integration/Embedding within a Learning Management System (LMS) :
Not Applicable.
Operating Systems:★★★
Works Well. Asana is a web-based application, making it compatible with any standard, up-to-date operating system, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Additionally, Asana offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android, ensuring that users can access and utilize the tool across a wide range of devices and operating systems.
Web Browser:★★★
Works Well. Works well with various browsers.
Additional Technical Requirements:★★★
Works Well. Asana is accessible directly through any standard web browser without the need for additional software or browser extensions. Users can create and manage tasks using Asana's web interface or mobile apps without requiring further downloads or uncommon software.
Mobile Design:
★★☆
Access:★★★
Works Well. Asana is highly accessible on mobile devices through dedicated apps available for both iOS and Android operating systems. Additionally, Asana can be accessed via mobile browsers, ensuring that users can manage tasks and projects on any mobile device.
Functionality:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana’s mobile app provides access to its core features, such as task creation, project management, and communication, ensuring users can perform essential functions on the go. However, some advanced features available on the desktop version, like detailed reporting and certain integrations, may be limited or more cumbersome to use on the mobile app.
Offline Access:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana's mobile app provides some offline capabilities, allowing users to view and edit tasks that were previously loaded while online. However, the functionality is limited compared to the online experience, and changes made offline are synced once the device reconnects to the internet. This offline mode supports basic task management but lacks the full range of features and real-time collaboration available online.
Usage and Account Set Up:
★★☆
Sign Up/Sign In:★☆☆
Serious Concerns. Asana requires all users, including both instructors and students, to create an external account to access the platform. This involves providing personal information such as an email address. While Asana ensures data privacy and security, the necessity of creating an external account means additional steps for users and potential concerns about data sharing and privacy.
Cost of Use:★★☆
Minor Concerns. While the tool can be used for free up to teams of 10, a subscription for larger groups is required.
Archiving, Saving, and Exporting Data :★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana allows users to archive projects and tasks, but there are limitations regarding saving and exporting data. While users can export project data in CSV or JSON format, there may be limitations in terms of exporting entire workspaces or comprehensive activity data.
Data Privacy and Ownership:★★★
Works Well. Asana prioritizes data privacy and ownership, allowing users to retain control over their intellectual property and data. Users can choose to keep their data private within their workspace or share it with specific team members as needed. Asana's privacy settings enable users to control access to their data, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.
Social Presence:
★★☆
Collaboration :★★★
Works Well. Asana facilitates collaboration through both asynchronous and synchronous means. Users can communicate and interact asynchronously by commenting on tasks, sharing files, and updating project statuses. Additionally, real-time collaboration is possible through Asana's messaging feature, enabling users to engage in synchronous communication within the platform.
User Accountability:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana provides some solutions for holding learners accountable for their actions, such as task assignments, due dates, and activity logs. Instructors can track individual contributions and monitor progress within projects, providing a degree of accountability. However, Asana does not inherently offer features for controlling learner anonymity, as users typically operate under their account identities. Therefore, while accountability mechanisms exist, instructors may need to implement additional strategies to address anonymity concerns within the platform.
Diffusion:★★☆
Minor Concerns. While Asana is a popular project management tool, its adoption and familiarity among learners in a university context may vary. Some students may already be familiar with Asana and have basic technical competence with its functions, especially those who have used project management tools in professional or academic settings. However, others may lack experience with Asana or similar tools, requiring additional support and training to become proficient. Therefore, the familiarity with Asana among learners is likely mixed.
Teaching Presence:
★★☆
Facilitation:★★☆
Minor Concerns. While Asana provides features for task management and collaboration, its functionality for active management, monitoring, and engagement by instructors is somewhat limited. Instructors can assign tasks, monitor progress, and provide feedback within Asana, but it lacks some advanced features specifically tailored for educational settings, such as gradebook integration, quiz creation, or real-time student monitoring.
Customization:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana offers some degree of customization to suit classroom contexts and learning outcomes. Users can customize project structures, task details, and workflows to align with specific requirements. Additionally, Asana provides features such as custom fields, tags, and templates, allowing for further customization to meet educational needs. However, there may be limitations in terms of deep customization tailored specifically for academic environments, such as integration with grading systems or customizable assessment tools.
Learning Analytics:★☆☆
Serious Concerns. Asana primarily focuses on task and project management, and it does not offer built-in learning analytics features tailored specifically for educational purposes.
Cognitive Presence:
★★☆
Enhancement of Cognitive Task(s):★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana can improve engagement in cognitive tasks related to project management, organization, and collaboration. By providing a structured platform for task management and communication, Asana can enhance students' ability to plan, prioritize, and execute tasks effectively. However, its impact on cognitive tasks may be more indirect compared to tools specifically designed for cognitive enhancement.
Higher Order Thinking:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana can potentially engage learners in higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis, depending on how it is used and facilitated by instructors. While Asana primarily focuses on task management and collaboration, instructors can design assignments and projects that require students to critically analyze information, make decisions, and solve problems within the platform. However, achieving higher-order thinking may require deliberate instructional design and facilitation to guide students in applying these skills effectively within the Asana environment.
Feedback on Learning:★★☆
Minor Concerns. Asana offers some opportunities for formative feedback on learning through task management and project collaboration. Instructors can provide feedback on individual tasks, monitor progress, and assess overall project performance within the platform. However, the feedback mechanisms within Asana may be somewhat limited compared to dedicated learning management systems or assessment tools. While learners can receive feedback on their tasks and projects, the platform may not offer robust features for tracking performance, monitoring improvement, or testing knowledge on a regular basis. Therefore, while some feedback opportunities exist, they may be less frequent or comprehensive compared to specialized learning platforms.
Security and Privacy
The service is not offered by Memorial University and has not been reviewed by Information Management and Protection.
Support Information
Asana's Help Center provides comprehensive guides, tutorials, and FAQs to help users navigate the platform and troubleshoot common issues. You can access it directly from the Asana website.
Note: Instructional Support is available through CITL. Please connect with Learning Technology Coaches for assistance ltc_citl@mun.ca or visit the Teaching and Learning Exchange in ED 1001, St. John’s Campus.
History
Asana, Inc. was founded in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein. Both Moskovitz and Rosenstein had previously worked at Facebook, where they collaborated on developing a productivity tool called Tasks. In 2008, they decided to leave Facebook and start their own company, focusing on creating a platform to improve team collaboration and project management.
Initially, Asana operated in stealth mode, with little public information about its activities. However, it gained attention for its high-profile founders and their background at Facebook. In November 2011, Asana officially launched its product for free out of beta, allowing users to sign up and start using the platform.
In April 2012, Asana launched commercially, offering paid subscription plans for businesses and organizations. This marked the beginning of its journey as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company.
Over the years, Asana continued to grow its user base and expand its feature set. In 2014, it launched its native iOS app, followed by the release of its native Android app in January 2015. Asana also raised significant funding rounds to fuel its growth, including a $50 million Series C financing led by Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator, in 2016.
Asana's integration capabilities expanded as well. In 2017, it integrated with Gmail and launched its app in French and German, catering to a global audience. The company continued to attract funding, raising $75 million in Series D funding led by Generation Investment Management in 2018.
In September 2020, Asana went public on the New York Stock Exchange through a direct listing, achieving a valuation of $5.5 billion. Subsequently, in August 2021, Asana dual listed on the Long-Term Stock Exchange.
Asana's customer base continued to grow, with notable clients such as eBay, Uber, IBM, and many others. By December 2021, Asana had over 114,000 customers globally, with two million paid seats.
The company's commitment to innovation remained strong. In April 2022, Asana released its annual Anatomy of Work Index, providing insights into modern workplace trends. It also announced partnerships and product launches, such as Asana Smiles for Align in May 2022, catering to specific industry needs.
More Asana's history and company structure is available on their website.