Kanban guide · Kanban basics
Kanban Boards: How to Design and Use One
A Kanban board is the visual heart of Kanban. It shows every piece of work, where it is, and where it is stuck, so the whole team can manage flow together.
Key takeaways
- A Kanban board shows work items, stages, WIP limits and policies.
- Design it from your real process, including waiting stages.
- WIP limits turn a board into a flow-management tool.
Parts of a Kanban board
- Columns for each stage of the workflow, such as To do, In progress, Review and Done.
- Cards for individual work items.
- WIP limits shown at the top of active columns.
- Commitment point: where the team commits to doing an item.
- Delivery point: where the item is handed to the customer.
- Swimlanes separating types or classes of work.
- Policies: short rules for entering and leaving each column.
Physical vs digital boards
| Physical | Digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Co-located teams | Remote or hybrid teams |
| Strengths | Highly visible; encourages conversation | Automatic metrics, history and integrations |
| Weaknesses | No automatic data | Easy to ignore if not displayed |
Example boards
| Team | Columns |
|---|---|
| Software | Backlog → Ready → Develop (doing/done) → Review → Test → Deploy → Done |
| Marketing | Ideas → Brief → Create → Review → Scheduled → Live |
| IT support | New → Triage → In progress → Waiting on customer → Resolved |
| HR recruitment | Role approved → Sourcing → Screening → Interviews → Offer → Hired |
| Personal | To do → Doing → Done; see personal Kanban |
How to design your board
- Walk through how one recent item actually moved from request to done.
- Turn each real stage into a column, including waiting stages.
- Split busy stages into "doing" and "done" to show queues.
- Mark the commitment and delivery points.
- Add WIP limits to active columns.
- Write one-line policies for each column.
- Add swimlanes only if they answer a real question.
Common board mistakes
- Designing an ideal process instead of the real one.
- Too many columns, so the board becomes hard to read.
- No WIP limits, so the board is just a to-do list.
- Cards that are too large to move for weeks.
- Not updating the board, so nobody trusts it.
Free templates for this topic
Frequently asked questions
How many columns should a Kanban board have?
As few as needed to show the real stages, usually between four and eight.
What is the difference between a Kanban board and a Scrum board?
A Scrum board is reset every sprint and shows only sprint work; a Kanban board shows continuous flow and uses WIP limits per column.
What is a Kanban board?
A Kanban board is a visual display of work, with columns for each stage of the workflow and cards for each work item. It shows what is in progress, where work is waiting and where it is stuck.
What are the basic columns on a Kanban board?
The simplest board has To do, Doing and Done. Most teams expand this to match their real process, for example Backlog, Ready, In progress, Review, Testing and Done.
What should a Kanban board include?
Columns for each stage, cards for each item, WIP limits on active columns, clear commitment and delivery points, and short policies explaining when work can move. Swimlanes are optional.
Should I add waiting columns to a Kanban board?
Yes. Splitting stages into "doing" and "done" sub-columns, or adding queues such as "Ready for test", shows where work is waiting, which is often where most delay hides.
Physical or digital Kanban board: which is better?
Physical boards are quick to start and very visible for co-located teams. Digital boards suit remote teams and collect metrics automatically; see project management tools.
How do you set WIP limits on a Kanban board?
Write a limit above each active column, often starting at about the number of people working that stage, then adjust based on what you see. See WIP limits.
Who owns the Kanban board?
The team that does the work owns it and keeps it up to date. Anyone can view it, and changes to its design or policies should be agreed together.
How often should you update a Kanban board?
As work happens, so the board always shows the true state. At the least, the team checks and corrects it at the daily Kanban meeting.