Basic Kanban Workflow: To Do, In Progress, Done

The Core Kanban Workflow

The simplest and most widely adopted Kanban layout consists of three columns: To Do, In Progress, and Done. Every task (represented by a card) starts in the leftmost column and moves rightward as work progresses.

How It Works

1. To Do -- The backlog of work items waiting to be started. Cards here have been prioritized but no one has begun working on them yet.
2. In Progress -- Cards currently being worked on. Ideally, each team member has only one or two cards here at a time to maintain focus.
3. Done -- Completed work. Moving a card here signals that it meets your team's definition of done.

┌──────────┐  ┌──────────────┐  ┌──────────┐
│  To Do   │  │ In Progress  │  │   Done   │
├──────────┤  ├──────────────┤  ├──────────┤
│ Task A   │  │ Task D       │  │ Task F   │
│ Task B   │  │ Task E       │  │ Task G   │
│ Task C   │  │              │  │          │
└──────────┘  └──────────────┘  └──────────┘

Why Three Columns?

The three-column layout is effective because it provides just enough granularity to visualize work status without overwhelming the team. It makes bottlenecks visible -- if In Progress is overflowing while Done is empty, something is blocking completion.

When to Expand

As your process matures, you may add columns like Review, QA, or Blocked. But start simple and add complexity only when the three-column model no longer captures your workflow accurately.