In today’s project management environment, leveraging tools like Jira is critical to the successful functioning of your team. However, in order to get the most out of this tool, it’s crucial to understand how to build tasks correctly and what information needs to be included so that developers have all the details they need to do their job.
Task types in Jira
Let’s start with the main task types you’ll encounter in Jira: epics, stories, bugs, tasks, and subtasks.
- epic: An epic is a large user story that cannot be completed in a single iteration and can be broken down into smaller tasks. Epics often require development spanning multiple sprints, especially if you follow the Scrum methodology.
- story: Stories are components of a larger epic that the team can complete in a single sprint. It describes functionality from the end user’s perspective, usually in the format: “As [type of user]I want [do something]so that [I can achieve a goal]”.
- Task: Tasks are technical work performed by team members. Generally speaking, technical tasks are not collaborative, but are required to successfully complete Epics.
- subtask: A subtask is a portion of a story or task that describes the minimum amount of work for a team member. Breaking tasks into subtasks allows for a more accurate estimate of effort.
- loopholes: Bugs are the task of catching errors that need to be analyzed and fixed. Sometimes it can be challenging for the product owner to understand the nature of the bug, and priorities can be misaligned, resulting in poor product quality.
How to fill out a task
When creating user stories, it’s important to follow a specific structure. The title should reflect the essence of the task. For example: “Build a sales report: Analyze monthly data to optimize product scope.” The description should provide information that helps the team better understand the task. An example user story might look like this:
- As a website administrator, I want to set up a sales report so that I can analyze monthly sales and make inventory decisions.
- As a BA, I can divide website visitors into two groups and conduct A/B testing on the homepage to increase conversion rates.
- As a content manager, I can add interactive graphics to any blog page to make posts more engaging.
Additionally, it is helpful to include acceptance criteria for each user story. For example, for the first case, these might include:
- This report contains data for the specified period.
- Reports can be exported in CSV format.
- This report displays data broken down by product type.
It is also recommended to use tags to better filter tasks. Specify the task’s priority and estimate (for example, 5 story points) and add it to the first sprint.
If necessary, break the task into subtasks so that different team members can start working on different aspects of the task. For example, a designer might be responsible for the design, while a front-end developer implements the layout. If you only have one developer, breaking it down into phases may not be necessary, but it can still help with estimating.
Useful tips
- For Epics, add links to documentation and technical specifications to ensure the team has a common understanding.
- When building an error, try to answer the question [What] [Where] [When] And include screenshots or videos for clarity.
- We recommend using the Lightshot tool for taking screenshots, which can be annotated.
- If you work in Scrum, estimate tasks during planning and fill in the estimates with the team.
- Use an AI assistant in Jira to assist with drafting tickets – this can streamline the process.
How to create tickets for your project? Share your thoughts in the comments and feel free to share screenshots!