The design of production planning tools is primarily based on conventions which can be found in research on visual perception and how data is traditionally represented. Standardized forms have become everyday tools and are an essential part of our visual culture. In the first part of the 20th century, the Gantt chart was introduced and was primarily used for charting workplace efficiency. It has been used in various forms ever since, in parallel with other Stage-Gate models. Visual management has been developed in companies that work with lean production systems. For governance and control of daily activities, a so-called lean board is used, which consists of a white board. In this paper we discuss how—despite rapid technological development and digitalization in many fields—our perceptions, visual representations, and organization of time seem to remain rooted in the past.