12 Gantt Chart Examples You’ll Want to Copy
Gantt chart. Love them, hate them, or you can’t live without them, they are a reality in a marketer’s life. But how do you stand out from the others?
I’ve rounded up some of the best examples, along with some free templates to get you started. Dive in below and find your favorite.
What is a Gantt chart used for?
Gantt charts are a project management tool that helps marketers visualize project schedules, progress, and results. Visual lines or bars clearly indicate which tasks have been completed and what is due so that managers can divide time and responsibility accordingly.
The items on a Gantt chart can be grouped into four categories: resources, milestones, tasks, and dependencies.
- Resources: Project managers need to know what resources are needed for tasks that are outlined on a Gantt chart so that they can be completed on time.
- Milestones: Along your timeline, there will likely be milestones, both large and small, that need to be achieved in order to keep your project on track. A milestone for a blog launch could be:Draft of the blog post due on May 30th.”
- Tasks: There are certain things that need to be completed along the way of your project. In our blog post example, a task could be: “Edit blog post.”
- Dependencies: Tasks in your Gantt chart are related to each other, for example the editor cannot complete her task of editing the blog post until the author reaches his milestone and his draft is on May 30th. submitted. These are dependencies and should be noted on your diagram.
Benefits of Using a Gantt Chart
The main goal of a Gantt chart is to keep track of the schedule and completion of a project. It is beneficial for project managers who need to keep the team dynamic in campaigns with many moving parts such as product launches or marketing events. Here are some additional benefits of using Gantt charts:
- Visual tracking provides an overarching overview of projects and their schedules, and helps DRIs understand progress and assign responsibility accordingly.
- Clear project schedules help with resource planning because you know which tools are required for which tasks and when DRIs need those tools.
- Visual understanding of which project elements depend on each other to close so PMs can inform responsible people about high priority tasks.
- Increased transparency as everyone involved knows the expectations and how individual progress affects team progress.
You can create Gantt charts in Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets, and more, and this tracking method can be used in a wide variety of industries from marketing to construction to design.
So what does that look like? Let’s dive into some beautiful Gantt chart examples below. Prepare to work out.
Examples of Gantt charts
1. Gantt chart in Excel
Creating Gantt charts in Excel is a common practice that you are likely to come across as you work. Excel does not have a predefined Gantt chart, but the “Stacked Bar” function is again your friend, with which you can view the project progress. Here is an example of an Excel Gantt chart. Download it for free here. 
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And here is a helpful how-to video for the Excel challenges among us .
2. Gantt chart in PowerPoint
Would you like to include a Gantt chart in your next PowerPoint presentation? Use this PowerPoint example as a guide. PowerPoint does not have a built-in Gantt function, but you can create and edit a chart within the platform using the “Stacked Bar” function.
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How to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint
When using the above template to create a Gantt chart in PowerPoint, keep these pro tips in mind:
- Use the taskbars to your advantage and adjust their length according to your plan. This template is also flexible so that you can shorten or lengthen the duration of tasks if something happens during your project execution process.
- Create unique color codes for each specific task so that when completed you can place an appropriate milestone image to monitor your progress and instantly understand which color means what.
3. Gantt chart in Word
What is it? You are not yet familiar with Microsoft’s “Stacked Bar” function? Well, if you get used to Gantt charts, you’ll be using this go-to feature quite a lot.
When creating a Gantt chart in Microsoft Word, stack the bars again. But if you regularly update and tweak your Gantt chart, Excel or PowerPoint can give you more flexibility. 
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How to make a Gantt chart in Word
Using the template above, take advantage of the stackable bars feature to create an interactive Gantt chart to clearly demonstrate task progress and monitor your performance.
Also, create a daily check-in schedule on your chart so that you can move the “today” line forward throughout the day to keep track and understand what’s coming.
4. Gantt chart in Google Sheets
If you spend most of your time in Google Sheets, this is the Gantt Chart for you. G-Sheets makes it easy to create customizable Gantt charts that you can edit as needed – all with a few simple formulas.
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How to make a Gantt chart in Google Sheets
When creating a Gantt chart in Google Sheets, use the above template and rotation table for automatic charting. Just fill in the information specific to your company and the chart will be created automatically.
This diagram gives you less creative freedom, but it’s great for those who are hesitant to create a diagram from scratch.
5. Gantt chart in Google Docs
Would you like a Gantt chart to share with colleagues and collaborate on? Consider making your diagram in a Google Doc. Save it to your Google Drive and share it as you normally would. Google offers “stacked chart” options in its “chart editor”, so getting started is a breeze.
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How to make a Gantt chart in Google Docs
Use the timeline template documents in Google Docs to your advantage and get an overview of your project progress. It helps with visualization, keeps track and allows you to see your progress over time so you can share information with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
6. Gantt chart for the editorial calendar
Bring your editorial calendar up to date with a Gantt chart. Add release dates as milestones, add subgroups for each stage of content creation, and add tasks to your chart.
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7. Gantt chart for project management
Project management is one of the most common industries that relies on Gantt charts. These diagrams help project managers identify the tasks involved in each project, create a timeline for each task, and assign deadlines, tools, and progress updates for each of the tasks within the project.
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8. Gantt chart for marketing campaigns
There are many tools out there to help marketers create Gantt charts specifically for marketing campaigns. This example from GanttPro offers ready-made campaign templates with predefined tasks, subtasks and milestones. 
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9. Gantt chart for design projects
Designers can also use Gantt charts. Schedule design starts, track brainstorms, and share design progress with a carefully organized diagram, like the following example. 
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10. Gantt chart for product launch
Product launches have many moving parts. Keep track of research, budgets, team roles, and even risk assessments in a customizable Gantt chart like this one. You can even set dependencies and assign tasks to specific people.
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11. Gantt chart for social media campaign
When mapping a social media marketing campaign using a Gantt chart, make sure you include the tools you need, the content you share, and the assets used on each channel. We loved this example of factory. 
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12. Event Marketing Gantt Chart
From getting in touch before the event to “thank you” emails after the event, planning an event requires a high level of organization. Use a Gantt chart like this one to track your strategy, team progress, and key actions before, during, and after your event.
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When you’re ready to make your own Gantt chart, check out the high-quality examples on this list and download our free Excel template to get started.
