Notion is a versatile productivity app that allows users to create wikis, documents, databases, calendars, and more to organize their work and life. One of Notion’s most popular features is its ability to create Kanban boards for project management.
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What is a Kanban Board?
A Kanban board is a visual project management tool that allows teams to visualize workflows and track progress on tasks or projects. The board contains columns that represent the different stages of a process, such as “To Do”, “In Progress”, and “Done”. Cards or tasks move from left to right on the board as work is completed.
Kanban boards have several benefits:
- Provide a visual overview of all ongoing tasks and projects
- Allow teams to focus on finishing what’s in progress before taking on new work
- Help identify bottlenecks in the workflow
- Promote collaboration by giving transparency into what everyone is working on
- Flexible and customizable to suit any process
Why Use Notion for Kanban Boards
Notion is perfectly suited for creating and managing Kanban boards for several reasons:
Flexible Databases
The foundation of a Notion Kanban board is a database table. Databases allow you to add custom columns to track all necessary task details, assignees, due dates, priorities, etc.
Customizable Views
Notion allows you to view a database as a table, gallery, calendar, or Kanban board. So you can create the exact view you need for any project.
Real-Time Collaboration
As a teamwork tool, Notion supports commenting, task assignments, and edits by multiple users in real-time.
Powerful Filtering & Sorting
Notion makes it easy to filter and group tasks on your Kanban board to focus on what’s relevant to you. For example, view only your assigned tasks.
Integrations
Notion integrates with popular tools like Slack, Google Calendar, Trello, and more. This allows you to connect your workflows.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Notion Kanban Board
Follow these steps to create a Notion Kanban board tailored for your team’s workflow:
1. Create a New Database
Click the “+” icon to create a new page. Name it something like “Project Management Board”. Select “Database” as the page type.
A database table will be created with some default properties.
2. Add Custom Properties
In the table, click the “Add property” button to create columns for all the details you need to track. Examples:
- Text property for Task name
- Select property for Status (To do, In progress, Review, Done etc.)
- Select property for Priority (High, Medium, Low)
- Date property for Due date
- Person property to Assign tasks
Add or delete any other properties that make sense for your workflow.
3. Create Board View
Next to the page title, click “Add a view” and select “Board”. This will instantly transform your table into a Kanban board with each status as a column.
4. Customize Board Columns
To customize columns, click the 3 dots next to any column header and select “Edit statuses”. Here you can:
- Reorder columns
- Rename column headers
- Add/delete status options
- Change column colors
Organize the columns to match your workflow.
5. Start Tracking Tasks
You can now use the Kanban board to track tasks and projects. Simply create tasks in the database table, fill in details, assign them, and drag the task cards across columns as work progresses.
The board provides a transparent view of what everyone is working on.
6. Add Filters and Views
Take advantage of Notion’s filters, groupings, and alternative views for extra functionality. For example:
- Filter tasks assigned to certain people
- Group by priority to see high priority tasks
- View as a table to see due dates or other details
- View as calendar to see deadlines
Extra Tips for Your Notion Kanban Board
- Add a linked Tasks database for recurring tasks
- Link project pages to related tasks
- Create dashboard pages to track project metrics
- Automate tasks with Notion formulas
- Set up reminders and notifications
- Integrate with other tools you use via API
Conclusion
Using Notion to create a Kanban project management board provides teams with a flexible, visual, and collaborative workspace to streamline projects.
It’s easy to set up but can be customized to suit any team’s unique needs. The real-time overview of the workflow, dynamic filtering, and integrations give Notion an advantage over traditional Kanban board tools.
By spending some time structuring a Notion Kanban board to match your process, your team can benefit from enhanced transparency, improved focus, and maximized productivity.
