Three-dimensional visualization of status and progress of a process

1. A method of tracking status and progress of a process, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of different sized and different colored tangible and physically stackable markers that can be visualized in three dimensions, each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers representing a respective trackable event, and each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers having a height, a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, wherein the size of a tangible and physically stackable marker indicates a level of importance assigned to the corresponding trackable event, and wherein the color of a tangible and physically stackable marker indicates a category assigned to the corresponding trackable event;

arranging the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers in a three-dimensional configuration that visually indicates current status of a plurality of trackable events corresponding to the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers;

indicating a respective progress identifier on the first side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a progress identifier indicates a current progress status for a trackable event assigned to a tangible and physically stackable marker;

indicating a respective event identifier on the second side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein an event identifier uniquely identifies a trackable event;

indicating a respective date identifier on the third side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a date identifier indicates a contextually significant date for a trackable event;

indicating a respective category identifier on the fourth side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a category identifier identifies the category assigned to a trackable event and

updating the three-dimensional configuration over time to visually indicate an updated status of the plurality of trackable events.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of accessing status data and information for a trackable event, using its respective event identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the three-dimensional configuration includes a category axis associated with a plurality of different event categories; and

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the category axis in accordance with their respective event categories.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the three-dimensional configuration includes a temporal axis; and

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the temporal axis in accordance with age of their respective trackable events.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of updating comprises moving at least one of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers from a first position defined by the temporal axis to a second position defined by the temporal axis in accordance with a passage of time.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the three-dimensional configuration includes a quantity axis; and

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the quantity axis in accordance with a number of trackable events having temporal characteristics identified on the temporal axis.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing from the three-dimensional configuration any of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers that represent trackable events that no longer require tracking.

8. A computer-implemented method of tracking a process having quantity, temporal, and progress status characteristics, the method comprising the steps of:

rendering, on a display element, a plurality of different sized and different colored stackable markers in a three-dimensional configuration that visually indicates the quantity, temporal, and progress status characteristics of a plurality of trackable events, each of the plurality of stackable markers representing a respective one of the plurality of trackable events, and each of the stackable markers having a height, a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, wherein the size of a stackable marker indicates a level of importance assigned to the corresponding trackable event, and wherein the color of a stackable marker indicates a category assigned to the corresponding trackable event;

obtaining information indicative of an updated status of the plurality of trackable events;

indicating a respective progress identifier on the first side of each of the plurality of stackable markers, wherein a progress identifier indicates a current progress status for a trackable event assigned to a stackable marker;

indicating a respective event identifier on the second side of each of the plurality of stackable markers, wherein an event identifier uniquely identifies a trackable event;

indicating a respective date identifier on the third side of each of the plurality of stackable markers, wherein a date identifier indicates a contextually significant date for a trackable event;

indicating a respective category identifier on the fourth side of each of the plurality of stackable markers, wherein a category identifier identifies the category assigned to a trackable event; and

in response to obtaining the information, updating the three-dimensional configuration to visually indicate the updated status of the plurality of trackable events.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the updated status of the plurality of trackable events is indicative of a change in the quantity, temporal, or progress status characteristics of the plurality of trackable events.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional configuration includes:

a quantity axis corresponding to quantity characteristics of the plurality of trackable events;

a temporal axis corresponding to ages of the plurality of trackable events; and

a category axis corresponding to a plurality of different event categories for the plurality of trackable events.

11. A method of tracking status and progress of a process, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of different sized and different colored tangible and physically stackable markers that can be visualized in three dimensions, each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers representing a respective trackable event, and each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers having a height, a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, wherein the size of a tangible and physically stackable marker indicates a level of importance assigned to the corresponding trackable event, and wherein the color of a tangible and physically stackable marker indicates a category assigned to the corresponding trackable event;

providing a visually perceivable tangible marker board having at least a category axis associated with a plurality of different event categories, a temporal axis, and a quantity axis defined therein;

indicating a respective progress identifier on the first side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a progress identifier indicates a current progress status for a trackable event assigned to a marker;

indicating a respective event identifier on the second side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein an event identifier uniquely identifies a trackable event;

indicating a respective date identifier on the third side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a date identifier indicates a contextually significant date for a trackable event;

indicating a respective category identifier on the fourth side of each of the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers, wherein a category identifier identifies the category assigned to a trackable event and

arranging the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers on the marker board using a three-dimensional configuration that visually indicates current status of a plurality of trackable events corresponding to the plurality of tangible and physically tangible markers;

wherein:

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the category axis in accordance with respective event categories for the markers;

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the temporal axis in accordance with ages of respective trackable events corresponding to the markers; and

the arranging step arranges the plurality of tangible and physically stackable markers along the quantity axis in accordance with a number of trackable events having temporal characteristics identified on the temporal axis.