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planomatti / Project plan
Guide · worked example · one-page outline
How to create a project plan
A project plan answers six questions: why (goals), what (scope), how (tasks), who (responsibilities), when (timeline) and what could go wrong (risks). Write the parts in that order, get the plan approved, then keep it up to date. This guide walks through each part with a website relaunch as the example. If you only need the schedule, see how to create a project timeline.
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Website relaunch · project plan1 page
- Goals: why
- Scope: what is in and out
- Tasks: how
- Responsibilities: who
- Timeline: when
- Risks: what could go wrong
How to write a project plan in 6 steps
- 01Define the goals
Write two or three goals that can be checked at the end: what changes, by how much, by when.
- 02Set the scope
List the deliverables and, just as important, what is not included. This is what you point to when new wishes appear.
- 03Break down the work
Split each deliverable into phases and tasks small enough to estimate, usually 1 to 10 working days.
- 04Assign responsibilities
One owner per task. Note who approves results and who only needs to be informed.
- 05Build the timeline
Order the tasks, estimate durations, derive dates, add milestones and buffer.
- 06List the risks
What could delay or break the project? Rate likelihood and impact, and agree on a response and an owner.
Example: project plan for a website relaunch
A small company replaces its website. Team: Lea (project lead), Tim (design), Sara (development), Marco (content). Client: the managing director, who approves the concept and the launch.
1. Goals
- New website live by Friday 19 February 2027.
- Contact requests via the website up 30 percent within three months of launch.
- All pages work on mobile and pass a basic accessibility check.
2. Scope
In: 12 pages, new design, contact form, migration of existing texts, basic search engine setup.
Out: online shop, new logo, translations, paid advertising. These go into a later project.
3. Work breakdown
- Discovery: kick-off, analysis of the current site
- Concept: sitemap, wireframes, approval
- Build: design, copy and images, development, content entry
- Launch: testing and fixes, buffer, go-live
Each phase ends with a result someone can check, for example “wireframes approved”.
4. Responsibilities
| Deliverable | Responsible | Approves | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals and scope | Lea | Managing director | Team |
| Wireframes and design | Tim | Managing director | Sara, Marco |
| Copy and images | Marco | Lea | Tim |
| Development and testing | Sara | Lea | Team |
| Go-live | Lea | Managing director | All staff |
5. Timeline (summary)
| Phase | Dates | Ends with |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Mon 11 Jan – Wed 13 Jan | Analysis done |
| Concept | Thu 14 Jan – Tue 19 Jan | Milestone: concept approved |
| Build | Wed 20 Jan – Fri 12 Feb | Content entered |
| Launch | Mon 15 Feb – Fri 19 Feb | Milestone: go-live |
The task-level schedule with owners, dependencies and a weekly progress check is worked through in how to create a project timeline.
6. Risks
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Response | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept approval takes longer than planned | medium | high | Book the approval meeting at kick-off | Lea |
| Texts arrive late from departments | high | medium | Deadline two weeks before content entry, placeholders allowed | Marco |
| Hosting migration problems | low | high | Test migration one week before launch | Sara |
| Key person ill | medium | medium | 2 days buffer, handover notes per task | Lea |
Project plan, work plan, timeline: what is the difference?
Project plan: the whole picture, from goals and scope to risks. It is what a client or manager approves.
Work plan: the execution part of it: tasks, owners and dates, often for one team or one phase. Many organisations use “work plan” and “project plan” interchangeably; for small projects one document covers both.
Timeline: the dated schedule inside the plan, usually shown as a Gantt chart.
One-page project plan outline
- Project name, lead, date
- Goals (2–3, checkable)
- Scope: in / out
- Phases and deliverables
- Responsibilities (responsible, approves, informed)
- Timeline with milestones
- Top 5 risks with response
- Budget, if any
Keep it to one page for projects under three months. Longer is fine, but nobody reads ten pages before the kick-off.
Where planomatti helps
planomatti covers the tasks, responsibilities and timeline of your plan. Goals, scope and risks fit in a short document or in the description of a task.
Tasks
Phases, work packages, milestones
Add them with the Phase, Work package and Milestone buttons. In the task panel, set the assignee and a due date.
Dates
Paint the plan
Use “Paint plan” to drag planned time across the grid, or type the hours. The grid goes from 30 minutes to whole days.
Order
By placing the bars
You set the order by placing bars one after another. planomatti does not link dependent tasks automatically.
Progress
Track actual time
Paint actual time, type it or use the timer. Key figures show total planned, actual so far and percent of plan; each row shows its difference.
Team
Share and export
Invite as many members as you need, share a read-only link with people who have no account. Export as PDF, SVG, PNG at 300 dpi or planned vs actual as CSV.
Frequently asked questions
What should a project plan include?
Goals, scope (in and out), the work broken down into phases and tasks, responsibilities, a timeline with milestones, and a list of risks with responses. Add a budget if the project has one.
How do I write a project plan?
Start with checkable goals, set the scope, break the work into tasks, assign one owner per task, build the timeline and finish with the risks. Get the plan approved, then update it when things change.
What is the difference between a project plan and a project timeline?
The timeline is the dated schedule. The project plan contains the timeline plus goals, scope, responsibilities and risks. See how to create a project timeline.
What is a work plan for a project?
A work plan describes how the work gets done: tasks, owners and dates, often for one team or phase. In practice the term is often used for the whole project plan.
How long should a project plan be?
As short as possible. One page is enough for most projects under three months; larger projects add detail per phase.
Is planomatti free?
Yes, with no trial and no credit card. You need an account with name, email and password to edit; viewers can use a read-only link.
Related guides
- How to create a project timeline: dated example with a weekly progress check
- Free online Gantt chart: show the timeline as a Gantt chart
- Project templates: start with phases, roles and calendar ready
Plan your project together.
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