Everything you need to know about Kanban cards
Learn how to create effective Kanban cards, what information to include, and best practices for card management
Jun 27, 2025
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Superthread Team
Kanban cards are the building blocks of your Kanban board. Each card represents a piece of work and contains the information needed to understand, track, and complete that work effectively.
What is a Kanban card?
A Kanban card is a visual representation of a single piece of work. Think of it as a mini-project or task that moves through your workflow from start to finish. Each card should contain enough information for anyone on the team to understand what the work is about and what needs to be done.
Basic Kanban card structure
A well-designed Kanban card typically includes:
Title: Fix User Login Bug
Description: Users can't log in when they use special characters in their password. Need to update the validation logic.
Assigned: Sarah
Due: Friday, Dec 15
Priority: High
Size: Medium
Essential information for Kanban cards
1. Title
The title should be clear and descriptive. It should tell you at a glance what the work is about.
Good titles:
“Fix user login bug with special characters”
“Create new homepage design”
“Update customer support documentation”
Poor titles:
“Bug fix” (too vague)
“Do stuff” (not descriptive)
“Fix the thing that’s broken” (unclear)
2. Description
The description provides more detailed information about what needs to be done.
What to include:
What the work involves
Why it’s needed
How it should be done (if relevant)
Acceptance criteria - what defines “done”
Example description:
Users are unable to log in when their password contains
special characters like @, #, or %. This affects about
15% of our user base.
Need to:
1. Update password validation logic
2. Test with various special characters
3. Update user documentation
Acceptance criteria:
- Users can log in with passwords containing special chars
- No impact on existing password functionality
- Documentation updated
3. Assignee
Who is responsible for completing this work? This helps with accountability and coordination.
Tips for assignees:
Assign one person as the primary owner
Consider adding secondary assignees for complex work
Make sure the assignee has the skills needed for the work
4. Due date
When does this work need to be completed? This helps with prioritization and planning.
Tips for due dates:
Be realistic about how long the work will take
Consider dependencies and team capacity
Update due dates if circumstances change
5. Priority
How important is this work compared to other work? This helps with decision-making when resources are limited.
Common priority levels:
Critical - Must be done immediately
High - Important and urgent
Medium - Important but not urgent
Low - Nice to have
6. Size/Effort
How much work is involved? This helps with planning and capacity management.
Common sizing approaches:
Story points (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13)
T-shirt sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL)
Time estimates (hours, days)
Fibonacci numbers (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13)
Types of Kanban cards
1. User stories
User stories focus on value from the user’s perspective.
Format: “As a [user], I want [feature], so that [benefit]”
Example:
2. Bug Reports
Bug reports describe problems that need to be fixed.
Example:
3. Tasks
Tasks are straightforward pieces of work that don’t fit the user story format.
Example:
4. Epics
Epics are large pieces of work that can be broken down into smaller cards.
Example:
Card design best practices
1. Keep cards focused
Each card should represent a single, well-defined piece of work.
Good: “Fix login bug with special characters” Bad: “Fix all bugs and improve the entire login system”
2. Make cards actionable
The card should clearly indicate what needs to be done.
Good: “Update password validation to accept special characters” Bad: “Investigate login issues”
3. Include acceptance criteria
Define what “done” means for each card.
Example:
4. Use consistent formatting
Keep card format consistent across your board for easy reading.
Standard format:
Title at the top
Description in the middle
Metadata (assignee, due date, etc.) at the bottom
5. Don’t overload cards
Avoid putting too much information on a single card.
If a card is getting too complex:
Break it into smaller cards
Move detailed information to external documentation
Use links to reference additional resources
Card management techniques
1. Card templates
Create templates for common types of work to ensure consistency.
Bug template:
2. Card sizing
Break down large cards into smaller, manageable pieces.
Before (too large and vague):
3. Card dependencies
Mark cards that depend on other work being completed first.
Ways to show dependencies:
Dependency arrows between related cards
“Blocked by” notes on cards
“Depends on” references in descriptions
Color coding for dependent cards
4. Card Aging
Track how long cards have been in each column to identify bottlenecks.
Visual indicators:
Color changes as cards age
Age stickers showing days in column
Automated alerts for old cards
Advanced Card Features
1. Attachments and Links
Add relevant files, images, or links to cards.
Common attachments:
Screenshots for bugs
Design mockups for features
Documentation links
Related issue links
2. Comments and Discussion
Use card comments to track discussions and decisions.
Good uses for comments:
Questions about requirements
Technical discussions
Progress updates
Decision rationale
3. Labels and Tags
Use labels to categorize and filter cards.
Common label types:
Work type: Bug, Feature, Task, Epic
Priority: High, Medium, Low
Component: Frontend, Backend, Database
Sprint: Sprint 1, Sprint 2, etc.
4. Time Tracking
Track time spent on cards to improve estimates.
Benefits:
Better future estimates
Identify time-consuming work
Capacity planning
Billing (if applicable)
Physical vs. digital cards
Physical cards (sticky notes)
Advantages:
Easy to create and modify
Always visible
Promotes face-to-face collaboration
No technical barriers
Best practices:
Use different colors for different types of work
Write clearly and legibly
Use consistent formatting
Replace cards when they get messy
Digital cards (software)
Advantages:
Can include rich information
Easy to search and filter
Track history and changes
Support automation and integrations
Best practices:
Use templates for consistency
Include relevant links and attachments
Update cards regularly
Use available features (labels, comments, etc.)
Common card mistakes to avoid
1. Vague titles
Mistake: “Fix bug” or “Do stuff” Better: “Fix login validation for special characters”
2. Missing information
Mistake: Cards with only a title Better: Include description, assignee, and acceptance criteria
3. Too much information
Mistake: Overloading cards with every detail Better: Keep cards focused and reference external docs
4. Inconsistent formatting
Mistake: Different formats for similar cards Better: Use templates and consistent structure
5. Outdated information
Mistake: Cards that don’t reflect current status Better: Update cards as work progresses
Card workflow best practices
1. Create cards early
Create cards as soon as work is identified, even if it’s not ready to start.
2. Refine cards before starting
Review and update cards before moving them to “In Progress.”
3. Update cards regularly
Keep card information current as work progresses.
4. Archive completed cards
Remove or archive completed cards to keep the board clean.
5. Review card effectiveness
Regularly review how well your cards are working and make improvements.
Conclusion
Kanban cards are the foundation of effective Kanban implementation. Well-designed cards help teams understand work, track progress, and deliver better results.
Remember to:
Keep cards focused and actionable
Include essential information
Use consistent formatting
Update cards regularly
Continuously improve your card design
The key is to find the right balance of information - enough to be useful, but not so much that cards become overwhelming.
