This is Signal vs. Noise, a weblog by 37signals about design, business, experience, simplicity, the web, culture, and more. Established 1999 in Chicago. Visit the Product Blog for more information on our products.

Some recent posts at the 37signals Product Blog:

Extras
New tool lets you convert Basecamp projects to PDF reports
Export Reports is a third-party tool that lets you convert your Basecamp projects and information to a PDF Report that you can share, archive, or read offline.

Tips
Using rules in your email app to forward items to Backpack
“I create rules in my email client that automatically forward different items to my Backpack page. This is especially great for emails with attachments since the attached files are automatically placed onto the page.”

“Any thing emailed to my address & +action@gmail.com automatically gets forwarded to my Backpack inbox, skips my Gmail inbox, and gets labeled ‘_ACTION’ in Gmail. I use this a lot; so do others. My supervisor, my friends, etc. can virtually place something in my Backpack inbox by emailing to that address.”

Thoughtful welcome message for getting clients started with Basecamp
David McDonald is a graphic designer who runs a freelance creative company designing print and digital publishing solutions. He recently wrote to us: “I just read the article on your blog: Social Signals uses Basecamp and GTD for project management and workflow and thought to send you the welcome message I put into all my new Basecamp projects for the benefit of my new clients.”

Case Studies
How indie filmmakers use Basecamp for producing movies
“The primary use for independent filmmakers and their complex film gigs is to use Basecamp for production. rāv design, a full-service video production and graphic design firm, loves Basecamp. ‘We used it to organize our 48 Hour Film Project. … [W]e were working with crew members from across the state who had never worked together, and in some cases never physically met before the shoot. We posted workflows, guidelines, rules and shared location scouting info all in an elegant location.’ For both clients and collaborators alike, how ideal of a work environment is that?”

Example “Backpack workflow for lightweight project management
When we were doing consulting, we had everything down to a science. Basecamp, while a great product, turned out to be too much of an app for our two man (and freelance designer) team. Here was our Backpack workflow for projects…”

Fancy time tracking software? Who needs it when Backpack gives you… Old fashion lists. Just keep track of your hours and add an item to the list at the end of each day.

Buzz/Press
Basecamp is a “tool you need to know about”
“With Basecamp, you can easily manage projects and your customers can sign-in and check the progress of your work. Basecamp allows you to keep track of To Do items or project milestones; share documents, images, and other digital files; and track time spent on various tasks.”

Subscribe to the Product Blog RSS feed.