Here are some short cuts to Gantt chart designs that I have found.
https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2014/05/23/make-gantt-chart-excel/
https://support.office.microsoft.com/en-ca/article/Present-your-data-in-a-Gantt-chart-in-Excel-f8910ab4-ceda-4521-8207-f0fb34d9e2b6?CorrelationId=e85ef2e0-dac4-4c31-bf79-b0fa634e054b&ui=en-US&rs=en-CA&ad=CA
Personally like to keep it, in Excel for it is a valuable tool, when done correctly!
I use it to reference reminders, contacts any other important relevant aspect with it on the computer.
When I plan the Gant chart I just design it myself to suite best the job at hand.
What I see most of the time on projects the chart is there in the beginning, but most things never work out as planned!
I never seen it modified during job progress but one should! It gives clearer perspective on bottom line!
In other words one's Gantt chart is only as good as ones W.B.S. (Work break Down Structure) is.
For this is what the Gantt chart is! Just W.B.S. is organized hierarchically and one determines
which jobs can be done concurrently!
Another important aspect to include in calculating time allowances extraneous circumstances that will effect the project!
In construction such as weather, what time of year, scarcity of material. Delivery time of material.
What the chart looks like is not important, except when its a presentation, critical aspect is helping in organizing the construction sequence of many different parts!
What I will introduce here is a very important holistic thinking technique.
It is a short form for asking questions to problems,processes or situations one wishes to understand! I call WH5! It is acronym for a structured approach to problem solving.
How?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
Want to design or plan in great detail understand processes etc!
Always ask these questions in relevant sentences on the subject at hand. Complex problems just learning the technique write the questions down. Just keep asking the question again and again about all the unknowns or not sure. One ends up with a long list to study, learn or check up. It is so important I will touch upon it again on the design topic.