diff --git a/src/event_handler.rs b/src/event_handler.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8251457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/event_handler.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+use std::error::Error;
+
+use crossterm::event::{self, KeyCode};
+
+use crate::{
+    state::{ApplicationState, Task},
+    utility::Op,
+};
+
+/// Handle all key events
+pub fn event_key_handler(app: &mut ApplicationState) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    if event::poll(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100))? {
+        if let event::Event::Key(key_event) = event::read()? {
+            match key_event.code {
+                // Escape to exit
+                KeyCode::Esc => app.should_quit = true,
+                KeyCode::Char('a') => app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task()),
+                KeyCode::Char('h') => app.update_selected_column(&Op::Decrement),
+                KeyCode::Char('l') => app.update_selected_column(&Op::Increment),
+                KeyCode::Char('k') => app.update_selected_item(&Op::Decrement),
+                KeyCode::Char('j') => app.update_selected_item(&Op::Increment),
+                KeyCode::Char('H') => {
+                    app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Decrement, false)
+                }
+                KeyCode::Char('L') => {
+                    app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Increment, false)
+                }
+                KeyCode::Char('K') => {
+                    app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Decrement, true)
+                }
+                KeyCode::Char('J') => {
+                    app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Increment, true)
+                }
+                // Resize the window (event handling is automatic with ratatui)
+                _ => {}
+            }
+        }
+    };
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34faea1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+pub mod event_handler;
+pub mod state;
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub mod test;
+pub mod tui;
+pub mod utility;
+pub mod widgets;
+
+use crossterm::{cursor, event, event::KeyCode, terminal, ExecutableCommand};
+use ratatui::{
+    backend::CrosstermBackend,
+    layout::{Constraint, Direction, Layout},
+    widgets::{Block, Borders, List, ListItem},
+    Terminal,
+};
+use state::ApplicationState;
+use std::{env, error::Error, io};
+use tui::run;
+
+fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    // Get the number of columns from command-line arguments
+    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
+    let num_columns: usize = if args.len() > 1 {
+        args[1].parse()?
+    } else {
+        // Default to 3 columns if no argument is passed
+        3
+    };
+
+    // Initialize application state
+    let mut app_state = ApplicationState::new(num_columns);
+    run(&mut app_state)?;
+    // Clean up terminal state
+    terminal::disable_raw_mode()?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6685cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+use crate::utility::Op;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct ApplicationState {
+    pub columns: usize,
+    col_idx: Vec<usize>,
+    pub tasks: Vec<Task>,
+    pub new_task_popup: bool,
+    pub should_quit: bool,
+    pub selected_col: usize,
+    pub selected_item: usize,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct Task {
+    pub title: String,
+    pub notes: String,
+    pub tags: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+impl Task {
+    pub fn new_test_task() -> Self {
+        Task {
+            title: "This is a test".to_string(),
+            notes: "".to_string(),
+            tags: vec![],
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl ApplicationState {
+    pub fn new(columns: usize) -> Self {
+        ApplicationState {
+            columns,
+            col_idx: (0..columns + 1).map(|_| 0).collect(),
+            tasks: Vec::new(),
+            new_task_popup: false,
+            should_quit: false,
+            selected_col: 0,
+            selected_item: 0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Get a slice containing all of the tasks associated with that column
+    /// and the index of the highlighted column in that
+    pub fn get_col_slice(&self, col: usize) -> Vec<(&Task, bool)> {
+        (self.col_idx[col]..self.col_idx[col + 1])
+            .map(|idx| (&self.tasks[idx], idx == self.selected_item))
+            .collect()
+    }
+
+    /// Get number of items in a column
+    pub fn col_n_items(&self, i: usize) -> usize {
+        self.col_idx[i + 1] - self.col_idx[i]
+    }
+
+    /// Determine whether a column is empty
+    pub fn col_is_empty(&self, col: usize) -> bool {
+        self.col_idx[col] == self.col_idx[col + 1]
+    }
+
+    /// Placeholder testing function to insert a new task in a column
+    pub fn insert_task(&mut self, col: usize, task: Task) {
+        // Compute the index of the new item
+        let idx = self.col_idx[col + 1];
+
+        // Update the other columns
+        self.col_idx[col + 1..]
+            .iter_mut()
+            .for_each(|idx: &mut usize| *idx += 1);
+
+        // Now insert the new task into the vector
+        self.tasks.insert(idx, task);
+        self.selected_item = idx;
+    }
+
+    pub fn remove_task(&mut self, col: usize, item: usize) {
+        self.tasks.remove(item);
+        for start_idx in self.col_idx[col + 1..].iter_mut() {
+            *start_idx -= 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Update the selected column
+    pub fn update_selected_column(&mut self, op: &Op) {
+        self.selected_col = op.apply(self.selected_col).min(self.columns - 1);
+        self.selected_item = self.col_idx[self.selected_col];
+    }
+
+    /// Update the selected column
+    pub fn update_selected_item(&mut self, op: &Op) {
+        if self.col_n_items(self.selected_col) > 0 {
+            self.selected_item = op
+                .apply(self.selected_item)
+                .max(self.col_idx[self.selected_col])
+                .min(self.col_idx[self.selected_col + 1] - 1)
+        };
+    }
+
+    /// Move a task either between columns or within a column
+    pub fn move_task(&mut self, col: usize, item: usize, op: &Op, in_col: bool) {
+        if in_col {
+            let new_idx = op
+                .apply(item)
+                .max(self.col_idx[col])
+                .min(self.col_idx[col + 1] - 1);
+            self.tasks.swap(item, new_idx);
+            self.selected_item = new_idx;
+        } else {
+            match op {
+                Op::Decrement => {
+                    if self.selected_col > 0 {
+                        let task_copy = self.tasks[item].clone();
+                        self.remove_task(col, item);
+                        self.insert_task(col - 1, task_copy);
+                        self.selected_col -= 1;
+                    }
+                }
+                Op::Increment => {
+                    if self.selected_col < self.columns - 1 {
+                        let task_copy = self.tasks[item].clone();
+                        self.remove_task(col, item);
+                        self.insert_task(col + 1, task_copy);
+                        self.selected_col += 1;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    pub fn test_highlighted_item() {
+        let mut app = ApplicationState::new(3);
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.update_selected_column(&Op::Increment);
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        assert_eq!(app.selected_item, 3);
+
+        let sol = app.get_col_slice(1);
+        assert!(sol[0].1)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    pub fn test_move_task() {
+        let mut app = ApplicationState::new(3);
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.insert_task(app.selected_col, Task::new_test_task());
+        app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Decrement, true);
+        assert_eq!(app.selected_item, 1);
+        app.move_task(app.selected_col, app.selected_item, &Op::Increment, true);
+        assert_eq!(app.selected_item, 2);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test.rs b/src/test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7181fc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+use crate::{state::ApplicationState, utility::Op};
diff --git a/src/tui.rs b/src/tui.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9db469c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+use std::{error::Error, io, iter::zip};
+
+use crossterm::{terminal, ExecutableCommand};
+use ratatui::{
+    layout::{Constraint, Direction, Layout},
+    prelude::CrosstermBackend,
+    style::{Color, Style},
+    widgets::{Block, Borders, List, ListItem, Paragraph, Wrap},
+    Terminal,
+};
+
+use crate::{
+    event_handler::event_key_handler,
+    state::ApplicationState,
+    widgets::blocks::{basic_block, highlighted_border_block, highlighted_item_block},
+};
+
+pub fn run(app_state: &mut ApplicationState) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    // Set up terminal
+    let mut stdout = io::stdout();
+    terminal::enable_raw_mode()?;
+    stdout.execute(terminal::Clear(terminal::ClearType::All))?;
+    stdout.execute(terminal::EnterAlternateScreen)?;
+
+    // Initialize the terminal with the Crossterm backend
+    let backend = CrosstermBackend::new(stdout);
+    let mut terminal = Terminal::new(backend)?;
+
+    // Start the main loop for rendering
+    loop {
+        terminal.draw(|f| {
+            // Define the layout with the specified number of columns
+            let size = f.area();
+            let constraints: Vec<Constraint> =
+                vec![Constraint::Percentage(100 / app_state.columns as u16); app_state.columns]
+                    .into_iter()
+                    .collect();
+
+            let chunks = Layout::default()
+                .direction(Direction::Horizontal)
+                .constraints::<&Vec<Constraint>>(constraints.as_ref())
+                .split(size);
+
+            // Render a item blocks in each column
+            for (i, chunk) in chunks.iter().enumerate() {
+                let block = if i == app_state.selected_col {
+                    highlighted_border_block(i)
+                } else {
+                    basic_block(Some(i))
+                };
+                f.render_widget(block, *chunk);
+
+                let nitems = app_state.col_n_items(i);
+                if nitems == 0 {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                let constraints: Vec<Constraint> =
+                    vec![Constraint::Max(5); nitems].into_iter().collect();
+                let sub_chunks = Layout::default()
+                    .direction(Direction::Vertical)
+                    .constraints::<&Vec<Constraint>>(constraints.as_ref())
+                    .margin(1)
+                    .split(*chunk);
+                for ((task, highlight), sub_chunk) in
+                    zip(app_state.get_col_slice(i), sub_chunks.iter())
+                {
+                    let style = if highlight {
+                        Style::default().bg(Color::Blue).fg(Color::DarkGray)
+                    } else {
+                        Style::default()
+                    };
+                    let paragraph = Paragraph::new(task.title.clone())
+                        .block(basic_block(None))
+                        .style(style);
+                    f.render_widget(paragraph, *sub_chunk);
+                }
+            }
+        })?;
+
+        // Handle events such as key presses
+        event_key_handler(app_state)?;
+        if app_state.should_quit {
+            break;
+        };
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/utility.rs b/src/utility.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e68db0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utility.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/// Enum used to determine whether we increment or decrement a value
+pub enum Op {
+    Decrement,
+    Increment,
+}
+
+impl Op {
+    pub fn apply(&self, val: usize) -> usize {
+        match &self {
+            Op::Decrement => val.saturating_sub(1),
+            Op::Increment => val + 1,
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets/blocks.rs b/src/widgets/blocks.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3623373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widgets/blocks.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+use ratatui::{
+    style::{Color, Style},
+    widgets::{Block, Borders},
+};
+
+/// Return the basic block which uses normal foreground coloring
+pub fn basic_block(i: Option<usize>) -> Block<'static> {
+    let block = Block::new().borders(Borders::ALL);
+
+    if let Some(i) = i {
+        block.title(format!("Column {}", i + 1))
+    } else {
+        block
+    }
+}
+
+/// Return the block used for highlighted borders
+pub fn highlighted_border_block(i: usize) -> Block<'static> {
+    Block::new()
+        .borders(Borders::ALL)
+        .border_style(Style::default().fg(Color::Blue))
+        .title(format!("Column {}", i + 1))
+}
+
+pub fn highlighted_item_block() -> Block<'static> {
+    Block::new()
+        .borders(Borders::ALL)
+        .border_style(Style::default().fg(Color::Blue).bg(Color::Blue))
+}
diff --git a/src/widgets/mod.rs b/src/widgets/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..049a8aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/widgets/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub mod blocks;