The APT Framework: How Xylo Organizes Everything
The Simple Story
APT stands for: Areas · Projects · Tasks
Three layers that organize everything from solo work to 20+ person distributed teams.
The system also includes Notes and Resources for documentation, but APT is the engine that drives everything.
Why This Exists
I built APT while coordinating United Nations Transparency Protocol pilots—managing supply chain transparency work across Fortune 500 companies, distributed teams on multiple continents, and stakeholders ranging from policy experts to technical implementers.
When you're juggling that complexity, you need a system that keeps everyone aligned without creating coordination overhead.
The key insight: The right organizational structure eliminates chaos. No Slack archaeology. No "which folder is that in?" No "who owns this?"
APT solved this with one principle: pre-built dashboards that automatically show each person only what's relevant to them.
The Framework
Areas: Your Domains of Responsibility
Stable, ongoing spheres of work without end dates.
Examples:
- Personal: Health, Finances, Career
- Freelancer: Client Work, Marketing, Operations
- Team: Engineering, Sales, Customer Success
- Multi-org: Policy & Standards, Technical Implementation, Stakeholder Coordination
Everything connects to an Area. That's what prevents "where does this go?" paralysis.
Projects: Focused Efforts Within Areas
Initiatives with outcomes, living within an Area. Two types:
Time-bound: Launch Q1 Campaign, Ship v2.0, Complete pilot by Q4
Ongoing: Technical Support, Client Relationship Management, Documentation Maintenance
Real work doesn't always fit sprints. Sometimes you need to "keep supporting the thing" without artificial deadlines.
Tasks: The Individual Steps
Discrete actions that move projects forward—one-time, recurring, exploratory, or deadline-driven.
The connection: Tasks → Projects → Areas. No orphans. No confusion about where anything belongs.
The Dashboard: Where the Magic Happens
Here's what makes APT different from folder structures or tag systems:
You never manually filter anything.
When you open your dashboard, you automatically see:
- Your tasks (only what you're assigned)
- Your projects (where you're PM, Contributor, or Stakeholder)
- Recent activity on your work
- Time log for billing (if needed)
Same data. Different pre-built views. Shift between daily execution, project oversight, and strategic planning without touching a filter.
How This Scales
| Role | What They See |
|---|---|
| Engineering Lead | Only Engineering Area projects and tasks |
| Project Manager | Only projects they manage |
| Stakeholder | Projects they're tracking (not task-level detail) |
| Contributor | Their assigned tasks across all projects |
No manual setup. Automatic based on role assignments.
In the UNTP work, this meant stakeholders in Australia, the US, and Europe each opened Notion and saw only their relevant work. Different organizations, different roles, different countries—same framework.
The Documentation Layer
Notes and Resources support the APT core:
Notes: Working documents, meeting summaries, brainstorming, decision logs
Resources: SOPs, templates, reference materials, finalized documentation
How they connect: A meeting about credential implementation flows like this:
- Meeting Bot captures transcript → Note created
- Action items → Tasks (linked to project)
- Technical decisions → Documented in Note
- Finalized approach → Becomes Resource
- Original note → Archived but linked for context
Everything accessible from the dashboard.
Implementation: Start Small
Week 1: Foundation
- Define 3-5 Areas
- Migrate 1-2 active projects
- Use daily for one week
Weeks 2-4: Build Habits
- Daily: Check task dashboard every morning
- Weekly: Review projects, update statuses
- Ongoing: Capture new items in the system
Month 2+: Expand
- Add projects and documentation
- Invite team members
- Customize views for different roles
Key: Start using before it's perfect. Adjust as you go.
Common Mistakes
Too many Areas → Start with 3-5. Split later if needed.
Projects too vague → "Improve Documentation" is an Area. "Document API v2" is a Project.
Databases not connected → Every Task must link to a Project, every Project to an Area.
Over-customizing before using → Run the template as-is for two weeks. Then customize.
Why APT Works
This is a hybrid of David Allen's GTD (Getting Things Done) and Tiago Forte's PARA (Project, Areas, Resources, Archive) which I've been accidentally merging for years. GTD is great for creating a task and saving it for when you are ready to tackle it. PARA is great for associating Resources with your Projects. APT is a Notion Template that combines lean approaches to each of these concepts to help individuals and small to medium sized teams stay organized and focused.
- Ready to use — Not a methodology to implement yourself; it's a working system
- Dashboard-first — Views are pre-built so you never manually filter to find your work
- Battle-tested — Refined through real multi-org coordination, not just theory
- Yours to own — Duplicate it, modify it, extend it. No subscription required.
Get Started
Try it free: Beta v0.9 available to the Notion community
Notion Marketplace: Xylo APT Productivity Kit
Custom implementation: Available upon request
Get support: chat.xylo.gg
Documentation: docs.xylodigital.com
Built for real coordination needs. Tested across distributed multi-org environments. You own it completely—no subscriptions, no task limits, no lock-in.
Xylo Digital · xylodigital.com