From Chaos to Clarity: My Journey with Kanban Boards
Introduction
Managing tasks as a software developer — whether in freelance gigs, full-time roles, or personal projects — can be overwhelming without a system. I tried to-do lists, spreadsheets, and sticky notes, but they all fell short.
Everything changed when I embraced Kanban boards.
In this post, I’ll explain why Kanban boards are essential for software teams and individual developers, how I built Open Kanban to fit my workflow, and how it helped me level up my productivity — not just in code, but in life.
Why Kanban Boards Are a Game-Changer
Kanban isn’t just a fancy to-do list. It’s a visual system for managing work that improves clarity, focus, and flow.
Here’s why they work:
1. 🧠 Visual Clarity Over Chaos
Kanban makes your workload visible. You’re not just writing tasks — you’re watching them move through stages:
- Backlog → In Progress → Review → Done
This flow mirrors how real software work happens. It helps you see bottlenecks, balance priorities, and stay focused.
Also, you can generate new steps on that flow to increase the control!
2. 🧩 Flexible for Teams and Solo Devs
Whether you're collaborating with others or working solo, Kanban adapts. I use it to:
- Break down features during sprints
- Track freelance project deliverables
- Plan personal goals like workouts or reading
- Organize side projects
Once you start using columns and cards, it’s hard to go back to plain lists.
3. ⚡ Encourages Focus and Flow
Limiting “In Progress” cards forces you to finish what you start. That leads to fewer half-baked features, fewer distractions, and a stronger feeling of progress.
Why I Built Open Kanban
There are dozens of Kanban tools out there. But I wanted something simple, fast, and customizable.
That’s why I built Open Kanban.
- ✅ Easy-to-use Google Authentication
- ✅ Drag and drop cards and columns
- ✅ Customizable columns and project settings
- ✅ Dark mode
- ✅ Firestore storage by default
It’s built with Nextjs + Tailwind, focused entirely on UX — so it feels fast and frictionless.
I created it as a weekend project, and now I use it every single day.
How It Improved My Workflow
Here’s how Open Kanban made a difference in my life:
🧑💻 Freelance and Work Projects
- I track features and bugs with clear visibility
- No more jumping between Notion, Trello, and email
- It’s easier to plan sprints and deliver on time
🧘♂️ Personal Life and Daily Goals
- I organize my day every morning
- I can drag tasks into "Done" — super satisfying!
- Planning long-term habits is easier with recurring templates
🚀 Easy to increase
As a software engineer, having all the control of this amazing tool is a game-changer. I can easily generate new functionalities to adapt my new requirements to the app in minutes!
It became my second brain, helping me stay clear-headed and productive, even outside of coding.
The Power of Good UI/UX
Design isn’t just “nice to have” — it directly affects productivity.
When UI gets out of your way and feels smooth, like with:
- 🖱️ Drag and drop
- 🌙 Dark mode
- 📲 Responsive Adaptations
…it becomes a tool you actually enjoy using.
I spent time polishing the drag-and-drop experience with libraries like dnd-kit to make sure it felt intuitive and satisfying. But I consider using native CSS draggable prop to make the experience easy to understand.
Conclusion
Kanban changed how I work, how I plan, and how I finish things. And building my own tool around that idea made me a better developer.
If you're juggling multiple projects — or just want to finish what you start — try Open Kanban:
It’s free, fast, and focused on making productivity feel good.
And remember: the best software doesn’t just work — it feels great to use.