Kanban Setup

Welcome to a deeper dive into creating and organizing your very own Kanban board! Imagine you’re about to start baking several batches of cookies, each with a unique recipe. You have all the recipes (features) in front of you, but you need a neat way of seeing: Which ones are planned?, Which one is in the oven?, and Which ones are done? That’s where a Kanban board truly shines, helping you juggle multiple tasks in a structured, visual way.

By following the steps here, you’ll set up a board that keeps your entire project on track. Each card on this board will represent a piece of functionality or an API endpoint you need to implement, along with all the requirements it needs to fulfill. Let’s explore how to create this board, add columns (pipelines), and populate it with the tasks you’ll be conquering.

Creating the Kanban Board

To start, head over to your repository. Think of this repository as your project’s kitchen— you have all the ingredients (code, assets, documentation), but now you need a neat menu system (Kanban board).

1) Navigate to the Projects tab in your repository.
2) Click the dropdown arrow next to Link a Project.
3) Select New Project and then select New Project again when prompted.

You’ll see a form for a new project. Choose Board style under Start from scratch, then give your board a descriptive name, such as “MyAPI Kanban” or “MyAwesomeProject Board.” Finally, click Create to generate the new project board.

Create Kanban Board Columns

After your board is created, you’ll notice it has a few default columns, sometimes named “To do,” “In progress,” and “Done.” Kanban is flexible, so you can customize these columns (often referred to as pipelines) based on your workflow.

For this particular project, you’ll want five columns:

• Backlog – where you keep every idea or feature not yet in development.
• Next Tasks – features you’ll tackle soon, but haven’t started yet.
• In Progress – anything you’re actively coding right now.
• In Review – finished features waiting for someone (maybe your Project Manager) to verify.
• Accepted – features that have passed review and are officially done.

By default, you may see three columns. You can edit them by clicking the ellipsis (...) menu on each column and selecting Edit details. You can also add new columns with the + Add column button. No need to set any automated presets; you’ll be manually moving cards as you and your Project Manager see fit.

In the end, your board should display columns in an order like: Backlog → Next Tasks → In Progress → In Review → Accepted. This mirrors the flow of a feature as it’s transformed from an idea to a finalized, deployed element of your project.

Add Project-Specific Cards

Now for the exciting part: populating your board with real tasks. Each card on the board will represent a distinct piece of functionality or endpoint in your application’s API. For instance, you might have an endpoint card named “GET /spots” or “POST /bookings,” each with a checklist detailing what it must return, error states, or validation.

1) If you have a specification or markdown file listing out your endpoints, open it. You can often spot headings like ### Get all Spots or ### Authentication Required.
2) Every time you see one of these headings, that’s a sign you should create a new card on your board.
3) Copy the heading and brief description from your spec or markdown file.
4) On your Kanban board, under the Backlog column, click the + Add item button (or equivalent) to create a new card.
5) Paste the heading. This typically becomes the card’s title.
6) Open the card, click an Edit or Edit comment button inside, and paste the additional information (requirements, bullet points, etc.).

Repeat for each triple-heading you find in your specification until you have cards for every endpoint or feature in your Backlog.

Here’s a quick example. Let’s say your spec has this text:

### Authentication Required

All endpoints that require a current user to be logged in receive a standard
authentication response.

- [ ] Authentication middleware responds with error status 401 when
      authentication is not provided

You’d create a new card titled Authentication Required in the Backlog column, then paste the entire snippet (including bullet points) inside the card’s description. That way, you have a ready-made checklist you can tick off as you implement each requirement.

Example Boards and Completion

It’s often helpful to see examples of Kanban boards in action:

• AirBnB-style project: Cards might read “GET /spots,” “Create a booking,” “User authentication,” etc.
• Meetup-style project: You’ll have endpoints for events, groups, user signups, etc.

Once you fill out all your endpoint cards, your board might look like:
Backlog: A bunch of endpoints that need to be built
Next Tasks: The ones you’ll code next
In Progress: The single endpoint or feature you’re actively writing code for
In Review: Features awaiting feedback from your Project Manager
Accepted: Fully completed features, all requirements checked off, final stamp of approval given

When you see it all laid out, it’s a great motivational tool—you can literally watch your board transform as tasks flow from planning to completion.

Congratulations!

By setting up a Kanban board at the very start of your project, you’ve taken a major step toward keeping your development work organized and transparent. Now, you can easily see how close you are to delivering each feature, track what’s left to do, and have a clear view of when it’s time to move on to the next chunk of functionality.

This approach frees you from having to constantly juggle tasks in your head. All that mental overhead shifts onto the board itself. As a result, you’ll have more brain space to focus on writing great code rather than worrying about “What do I do next?” or “Did I finish that endpoint?”.

Use your new Kanban board regularly:

• Move cards from one pipeline to another as they evolve.
• Cross off requirements within each card as you complete them.
• Keep your Project Manager updated by leaving notes or comments on the relevant cards.