Omni Group leads hands-on talks leading up to OmniFocus 2 announcement

One of the biggest compliments that OmniFocus receives is its high degree of customization. However, one of the biggest criticisms of OmniFocus is the steep learning curve -- something I've fallen victim to repeatedly since I purchased it in 2007.

I had a chance to sit down with Omni Group's Kris Rapp as part of the OmniFocus Setup, which takes a look at in-depth productivity using OmniFocus. There are a number of talks and panels led by OmniFocus power users such as Asian Efficiency's Thanh Phan and A Better Mess' Michael Schechter, above.

The best part about the one-on-one sessions was the chance to work with a member of Omni Group to grasp OmniFocus. Rapp went step by step through explaining the basics of the program and setting up a basic workflow to jumpstart my productivity. There are a number of support materials on the OmniFocus site for new users, but the person-to-person interaction helps you to get started. A few of the best tips that Rapp shared:

• Spend about two hours to initially set up the program, then reserve some time at least once a week to update it. Make this a standing appointment.

• Try to generalize things as much as possible. Don't create a folder for every project. Group them into broad categories such as Home, Work and Personal, then create projects from there.

• Don't try to use all the advanced features at once. You'll most likely use them as your database grows bigger, but it's easy to overwhelm yourself.

The talks are leading up to the debut of OmniFocus 2 later today. The launch starts at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET at the Cartoon Art Museum.