Creating a Visual Project Roadmap for Any Project

It’s hard to get where you want to go without a roadmap – particularly when it comes to project planning. Having a visual project roadmap helps you keep your meaning clear, ensuring everyone understands your project goals, progress, and key milestones you’ve been making on a project. 

And just in case you’re new to creating a visual project roadmap, we’re here to help you out. We’ll cover:

• Why you need a visual roadmap
• The types of roadmaps you can use
• How to create an effective roadmap visualization

In this article, we’re using Visor to share examples of visual roadmaps you can try. Visor is a project portfolio management tool that helps you present a crystal clear vision of your project to team members, stakeholders, clients, and more. Build your free visual project roadmap today.

What is a visual project roadmap?

A visual project roadmap is just a high-level, graphical overview covering a project’s:

• Timeline
• Goals
• Key milestones
• Deliverables

They’re different from detailed project plans, which break down individual tasks. Instead, a roadmap focuses on big-picture ideas. That makes it a good choice for aligning teams and stakeholders and getting them up-to-date on the overall project direction without overwhelming them with details.

Roadmaps are frequently made in Gantt charts, but there are plenty of different ways to structure visual project roadmaps.

Jira-Integrated roadmap in Visor

Key Characteristics of a Visual Project Roadmap

So that’s the basics, but what goes into a visual project roadmap? When you put your own roadmap together, you should include all of the following elements: 

• High-Level Structure: Share an overarching view of the project phases. In other words, you should look to highlight significant achievements or goals instead of digging into daily tasks in your roadmap.
• Milestones and Timelines: Visual roadmaps should show major milestones and timelines, which can help you track progress toward the project’s completion. 
• Clear Visual Layout: Choose a design that is easy to follow, with elements like color-coding and bars for different time periods to aid quick comprehension.
• Adaptable design: As projects evolve, roadmaps ought to be updated to reflect changes in priorities, deadlines, or deliverables. So ensure you have a solution that lets you make changes on the fly. (We’re partial to Visor, which you can try for free.)

Why do you need a visual project roadmap?

A visual project roadmap simplifies complex project details, giving you a clear, accessible guide for both project teams and stakeholders. Here are some of the reasons why you should plan using a roadmap:

• It aligns stakeholders: A roadmap makes sure that everyone—from team members to clients—understands the project’s goals, timelines, and key deliverables. This alignment helps cut back on miscommunication and keeps everyone focused on shared objectives.

• You improve communication: The clear, visual format of visual project roadmaps makes it easier to share information quickly. They become valuable tools for meetings and status updates, helping stakeholders understand progress at a glance without wading through detailed project plans.

• It makes planning more flexible: A project roadmap offers you a flexible guide rather than a rigid plan. So when your priorities change or unforeseen issues arise, your roadmap can be easily updated, letting the team adapt without losing sight of long-term goals.

• You clarify Milestones: Roadmaps highlight major milestones and deadlines, which helps keep the team motivated and focused. And given a visual roadmap, teams can see the connection between their work and overall project success.

• Roadmaps support strategic decision-making: The high-level view a roadmap offers makes it easier for stakeholders to spot issues and opportunities and course correct. 

Types of Visual Project Roadmaps

Visual roadmaps come in various types, each tailored to different project needs and communication styles. Here are some of the most popular types:

1. Gantt Chart Roadmap

The Gantt chart roadmap displays tasks as horizontal bars along a timeline, showing start and end dates, durations, and dependencies. It’s one of the most detailed roadmap types, great for projects requiring careful scheduling.

Best For: Detailed task management, especially in complex projects with interdependent tasks

Use Case: Marketing, manufacturing, or other industries or departments with strict scheduling needs

A Salesforce-integrated Gantt chart in Visor

2. Kanban-Style Roadmap

Inspired by Kanban boards, this roadmap divides tasks or project phases into categories like “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.” It’s highly visual and intuitive, showing work as it progresses through stages.

Best For: Agile project management, especially when tracking ongoing tasks that may not have fixed deadlines

Use Case: Software development teams working on iterative sprints

Board View in Visor

3. Timeline Roadmap

A timeline roadmap displays phases and milestones along a horizontal or vertical timeline. This type is ideal for projects with clear, sequential steps and strict deadlines.

Best For: Tracking major deadlines, sequential project phases, and visualizing progress over time

Use Case: Product development with specific feature release dates

Timeline View in Visor

4. Goal-Oriented Roadmap

This roadmap centers around high-level goals or strategic objectives rather than specific tasks or timelines. It’s ideal for initiatives where the focus is on achieving outcomes rather than meeting deadlines.

Best For: Long-term, outcome-driven projects with a focus on measurable results

Use Case: Company-wide initiatives, such as increasing customer satisfaction or expanding into new markets

Goal-Oriented OKR Dashboard in Visor

5. Swimlane Roadmap

Organized in lanes or rows, a swimlane roadmap separates tasks by categories, such as team responsibilities, project phases, or key workstreams. This allows teams to see responsibilities and progress by category.

Best For: Projects with multiple departments or teams where it’s crucial to track individual contributions

Use Case: Marketing campaigns with separate lanes for creative, content, and analytics

A Swimlane Roadmap in Visor

6. Portfolio Roadmap

This roadmap covers multiple projects within a portfolio, providing a big-picture view of timelines, priorities, and resources across initiatives. It’s helpful for companies managing multiple projects in parallel.

Best For: High-level strategic planning for organizations with complex project portfolios

Use Case: Program management in enterprises balancing numerous initiatives and resources

Each of these roadmaps can be customized with colors, icons, and labels to further enhance clarity and align with specific project needs. They also work well when used in combination, depending on the complexity and scale of the project.

Portfolio roadmap with Asana integration in Visor

How to Create a Visual Project Roadmap

Now that you’ve got some idea of what a visual project roadmap can look like, let’s take a look at how to build one yourself.

Step 1: Define the Project Scope and Objectives

When it comes to goal setting, look for SMART goals – in other words, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound. At the same time, keep your goals broad – a roadmap is not a project plan, and it becomes less valuable if you add too much detail. Think about what will define the project’s success and how it aligns with overall business objectives. 

Example: Let’s say you’re launching a new marketing campaign. Your primary goal might be to increase brand awareness, with supporting objectives like increasing social media followers, publishing articles, and running ads. Or if you were working in DevOps, goals might include reducing deployment time, increasing automation, and enhancing system monitoring.

Step 2: Identify Milestones and Phases

When it comes to setting out milestones and phases, start with high-level goals to make sure each milestone brings the project closer to completion. Focus on milestones that make the most impact and demonstrate value to stakeholders. Then align them with sprint or release cycles to maintain agility. 

Make sure the tool you use lets you add Milestones. For instance, Jira does not have a Milestone feature (though Visor does!)

Example:

For a DevOps project, you could set up the following phases:

Phase 1: Automate Testing – Milestones like “Automated Unit Testing” and “End-to-End Testing” completed

Phase 2: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Roll out IaC for the development environment, then for production

Phase 3: Continuous Monitoring – Implement monitoring tools for infrastructure and applications

Step 3: Choose the Right Type of Roadmap

Before you get started, look for a roadmap style that best fits your project. For example, Timeline and Gantt chart roadmaps are great for projects with strict deadlines, while Kanban-style roadmaps work well for flexible, iterative projects. (Check out our Types of Visual Roadmaps section above for more details.)

Example: For a marketing campaign, you might choose a Timeline Roadmap to show the project’s progress over time or a Swimlane Roadmap if you have multiple teams (e.g., content, design, analytics) contributing.

Step 4: Add Timelines and Assign Responsibilities

One way to make your roadmap more valuable is to be clear about dates and task ownership. Color-coding tasks by team or priority level can make the roadmap even easier to understand at a glance. (You can easily do this in Visor, which lets you customize colors, down to letting you choose specific Hex codes to keep your roadmap on brand.)

Example: For the Infrastructure Automation lane, assign timelines to tasks like “Set up development environment with IaC” (Q1), “Automate staging environment” (Q2), and “Production rollout” (Q3).

Step 5: Choose a Tool

When you’re looking for a tool, ask yourself about the following:

• Ease of use: Is the tool one that your whole team can use? Does it have a simple, intuitive interface?
• Ability to collaborate: Is it easy to share the roadmap and allow teammates to collaborate?
• Customization: Can you adjust colors and filters to make the roadmap for your team?
• Integrations: Does it have a robust integration with the tools you use regularly?
• Flexibility: Can you easily make adjustments as your roadmap changes?

Example: Visor can do all of the above, including smooth, two-way integrations with tools you use everyday, like Jira and Asana – which is also a great tool for roadmapping. It’s easy to use, flexible, and highly customizable. In addition, you can have unlimited viewers on your account, so you can give stakeholders insight into your roadmap, even if they don’t have access to complex project management tools, like Jira or Salesforce. In short, it’s an excellent tool for aligning teams and sharing your vision.

Roadmap featuring data from Asana and Jira in Visor

Step 6: Customize and Regularly Update your Roadmap

Keep it high-level—too much detail can make the roadmap overwhelming. Use visual cues, like color coding for completed tasks, to signal progress. Your roadmap should also adapt to your changing needs, so review and update it regularly. 

Example: As the campaign progresses, you might adjust deadlines or add new tasks based on feedback or changing priorities. Make updates directly in the roadmap tool and communicate changes during team check-ins.

Creating a Visual Product Roadmap with Visor

Creating a visual project roadmap is a powerful way to align teams, stakeholders, and clients on goals, progress, and key milestones. All you need is the right tool to create it!

Ready to take the next step? With Visor, you can create a high-level overview of every project in your portfolio and easily keep everyone aligned. Build your free visual project roadmap today to drive success and stay on track with your objectives. Try it for free today.

If this article was helpful, here’s what to read next:

1. Roadmap Visualizations That Your Stakeholders Will Understand
2. Jira Milestones in Roadmaps: Your Comprehensive Guide
3. How to Implement OKRs in Jira: Your Ultimate Guide

Halden Pfearsen

Halden Pfearsen

Senior Writer

Halden Pfearsen is the head writer at Visor, bringing you the best of the best in PM strategy, news, and tools. She's been in the SaaS startup space since 2016, and has loved every second. Other things she loves include guitar, camping, and tabletop games.

Find more of Halden's published work, presentations, and awards right here.

Washington DC