Abstract: The present application describes a work management/tracking framework that allows users to organize work around goals that may utilize several applications. Goals may encompass smaller individual tasks that span more than one application. An action object is used to represent a goal and can have one or more task items associated with it. The task items associated with an action object represent tasks that are included in the events and processes necessary to accomplish the goal. As a user works, the tasks that the user works on are tracked. If the user has requested to maintain the tasks in an action object, the tasks are associated with an action object. The user is assisted in pulling in possible task items that the user may wish to associate with an action object by being provided with a list of selectable task items that may be related to the action object.

Abstract: The innovation enables “total system” experiences for activities and activity-specialized experiences for applications and gadgets that allow them to align more closely with the user, his work, and his goals. In particular, the system provides for dynamically changing the user interface (UI) of the system level shell (“desktop”), of applications, and of standalone UI parts (“gadgets”), based upon a current (or future) activity of the user and other context data. The system can consider context data that includes extended activity data, information about the user's state, and information about the current environment. Preprogrammed and/or inferred rules can be used to decide how to adapt the UI based upon the activity. These rules can include, user rules, group rules, and device rules. Additionally, activities and applications can also participate in the decision of how to adapt the UI.