​

What Is a Kanban Board? Features and Fundamentals

A Kanban board is the visual centerpiece of the Kanban methodology. It’s a tool that helps teams see their work, understand their workflow, and identify opportunities for improvement.

​

What is a Kanban Board?

A Kanban board is a visual representation of your team’s workflow. Think of it as a big, organized display that shows:

• What work needs to be done
• What work is currently in progress
• What work has been completed
• Who is working on what
• Where work might be getting stuck

The board can be physical (like a whiteboard with sticky notes) or digital (like software tools). The key is that it makes work visible to everyone on the team.

​

Basic Kanban Board Structure

At its simplest, a Kanban board has three columns:

To Do         In Progress     Done
Card 1        Card 2          Card 3
Card 4        Card 5          Card 6
Card 7

​

The Three Basic Columns

1. To Do - Work that needs to be started
2. In Progress - Work currently being done
3. Done - Completed work

Each piece of work is represented by a card that moves from left to right as it progresses through your workflow.

​

Key Features of Kanban Boards

​

1. Columns (Swimlanes)

Columns represent different stages of your workflow. Each column should represent a specific step in your process.

Common column names:

• Backlog
• To Do
• In Progress
• Review
• Testing
• Done

Tips for creating columns:

• Start with your current workflow stages
• Keep column names simple and clear
• Don’t create too many columns (3-7 is usually ideal)
• Make sure each column has a clear purpose

​

2. Cards

Cards represent individual pieces of work. Each card should contain enough information to understand what the work is about.

What to include on cards:

• Title - Brief description of the work
• Description - More detailed information
• Assignee - Who is responsible for the work
• Due date - When it needs to be completed
• Priority - How important it is
• Size/Effort - How much work it will take

Card example:

Fix Login Bug
Users can't log in with special characters in their password
Assigned: Sarah
Due: Friday
Priority: High

​

3. Work in Progress (WIP) Limits

WIP limits are numbers that show the maximum amount of work allowed in each column at once.

Example WIP limits:

To Do (5)     In Progress (3)     Done (∞)
Card 1        Card 2              Card 3
Card 4        Card 5              Card 6
Card 7

Why WIP limits matter:

• Prevent teams from taking on too much work
• Help identify bottlenecks
• Improve focus and quality
• Make problems visible

​

4. Policies

Policies are the rules that govern how work moves through your board.

Example policies:

• To Do → In Progress: Card must have clear requirements and be assigned to someone
• In Progress → Review: All work must be completed and tested
• Review → Done: Code review completed and approved

Tips for policies:

• Keep them simple and clear
• Make them visible on your board
• Review and update them regularly
• Get team agreement on policies

​

Types of Kanban Boards

​

1. Physical Boards

Physical boards use real-world materials like whiteboards, sticky notes, and markers.

Advantages:

• Easy to set up and modify
• Always visible to the team
• No technical barriers
• Promotes face-to-face collaboration

Disadvantages:

• Not accessible to remote team members
• Can’t track history or metrics easily
• Limited automation capabilities
• Can get messy or lost

Best for: Co-located teams, simple workflows, getting started with Kanban

​

2. Digital Boards

Digital boards use software tools to create and manage Kanban boards.

Advantages:

• Accessible from anywhere
• Can track metrics and history
• Supports automation and integrations
• Easy to scale and customize

Disadvantages:

• Can be complex to set up
• May have learning curves
• Can be expensive for large teams
• Less tactile than physical boards

Best for: Remote teams, complex workflows, teams that need metrics and reporting

​

Creating Your First Kanban Board

​

Step 1: Map Your Current Workflow

Before creating a board, understand how work currently flows through your team:

1. List all the steps work goes through from start to finish
2. Identify decision points where work might branch or get stuck
3. Note who is involved in each step
4. Look for bottlenecks or delays

​

Step 2: Design Your Board

Based on your workflow mapping, design your board:

1. Create columns for each major stage of your workflow
2. Name columns clearly so everyone understands what they mean
3. Consider adding sub-columns for complex stages (e.g., “In Progress” might have “Development” and “Testing”)
4. Add a “Done” column to show completed work

​

Step 3: Set Up WIP Limits

Decide how much work your team can handle in each stage:

1. Start conservative - Set lower limits initially
2. Consider team capacity - How many people work in each area?
3. Account for complexity - Some work takes longer than others
4. Plan to adjust - You’ll refine limits as you learn

​

Step 4: Create Your First Cards

Add your current work to the board:

1. Write clear titles that describe the work
2. Include essential information like assignee and due date
3. Use consistent formatting so cards are easy to read
4. Don’t overload cards with too much information

​

Step 5: Start Using the Board

Begin moving cards as work progresses:

1. Move cards regularly - Update the board as work changes
2. Respect WIP limits - Don’t exceed the limits you’ve set
3. Follow policies - Use the rules you’ve established
4. Observe and learn - Watch how work flows through your system

​

Advanced Kanban Board Features

​

1. Swimlanes

Swimlanes are horizontal rows that help organize cards by categories like priority, team member, or work type.

Example swimlanes:

HIGH PRIORITY
To Do         In Progress     Done
Card 1        Card 2          Card 3

NORMAL PRIORITY
To Do         In Progress     Done
Card 4        Card 5          Card 6
Card 7

​

2. Color Coding

Use colors to categorize cards by type, priority, or assignee.

Common color schemes:

• Red - High priority or urgent work
• Yellow - Medium priority
• Green - Low priority
• Blue - Bug fixes
• Purple - New features

​

3. Blockers and Dependencies

Mark cards that are blocked or waiting for something else.

Ways to show blockers:

• Red sticky notes on blocked cards
• Blocked column for stuck work
• Dependency arrows between related cards
• Blocker tags or labels

​

4. Metrics and Analytics

Track how work flows through your board to identify improvements.

Key metrics:

• Cycle time - How long work takes from start to finish
• Lead time - How long work waits before being started
• Throughput - How much work gets completed
• WIP - How much work is in progress

​

Common Board Patterns

​

1. Simple Three-Column Board

Perfect for getting started or simple workflows.

To Do         In Progress     Done

​

2. Software Development Board

Common for development teams.

Backlog       To Do     In Prog     Review      Done

​

3. Marketing Board

Good for creative and marketing teams.

Ideas         Planning  Create      Review      Publish

​

4. Support Board

Useful for customer service teams.

New           In Progress     Waiting       Resolve      Closed

​

Best Practices for Kanban Boards

​

1. Keep It Simple

• Start with a simple board and add complexity as needed
• Don’t create too many columns or swimlanes
• Use clear, simple language for column names

​

2. Make It Visible

• Place physical boards where everyone can see them
• Ensure digital boards are easily accessible
• Update the board regularly

​

3. Keep It Current

• Move cards as work progresses
• Remove completed work regularly
• Update card information when it changes

​

4. Use It Daily

• Make the board part of your daily routine
• Use it in team meetings
• Refer to it when making decisions

​

5. Improve Continuously

• Regularly review how the board is working
• Make adjustments based on what you learn
• Experiment with different approaches

​

Common Mistakes to Avoid

​

1. Too Many Columns

Mistake: Creating a board with 10+ columns Better approach: Start with 3-7 columns and add more only if needed

​

2. Ignoring WIP Limits

Mistake: Setting WIP limits but not following them Better approach: Respect the limits and use them to identify problems

​

3. Outdated Information

Mistake: Letting the board become outdated Better approach: Update the board regularly and keep it current

​

4. Complex Cards

Mistake: Putting too much information on each card Better approach: Keep cards simple and use additional documentation for details

​

5. Not Involving the Team

Mistake: Creating the board without team input Better approach: Involve the whole team in designing and maintaining the board

​

Conclusion

A Kanban board is a powerful tool for making work visible and improving team productivity. Whether you use a physical board or digital software, the key is to start simple and evolve your board based on your team’s needs.

Remember, the board is a tool to help your team work better together. Focus on making work visible, limiting work in progress, and continuously improving your process.

Ready to create your first board? Check out our guide on Kanban Cards to learn how to create effective work cards.

Next: Learn everything about Kanban Cards and how to create them effectively.