Overview
Large program boards can contain hundreds of cards across many teams. Focus mode lets you cut through the noise by filtering the board down to a selected subset of cards and their direct dependency connections — everything else is hidden entirely.
Select one or more cards and/or edges, click the Focus button in the toolbar, and Board Studio instantly reshapes the view to show only what matters: the elements you selected, their linked neighbors, and the dependency edges connecting them.
How to Activate
- Select one or more cards and/or dependency edges on the board
- Click the Focus button in the board toolbar (tooltip: “Focus on Selection”)
Selection Methods
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Click a card or edge | Select that element |
| Ctrl+Click (Windows) / Cmd+Click (Mac) | Add or remove elements from the selection |
| Marquee selection (click and drag on empty area) | Select all cards and edges within the rectangle |
What Gets Included
| Selected Element | Focus Expands To |
|---|---|
| A card (node) | The card itself + all directly connected cards (BFS depth 1) + connecting edges |
| An edge (dependency link) | The edge itself + its source and target cards |
When focus mode activates:
- All unfocused cards, edges, and swimlane bands are hidden/filtered out — not faded
- Only the focused subgraph remains visible on the board
- Board structure temporarily filters to show only relevant columns and rows
- The view automatically zooms to fit the focused subset
- A smooth 800ms morphing animation transitions the layout
Tip: Use Ctrl/Cmd+Click or marquee selection to build a multi-element selection before clicking Focus. This is especially useful when you want to see the combined dependency chain of several related items.
How to Exit
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Click the Focus button again (tooltip: “Exit Focus Mode (N cards visible)”) | Exit focus mode |
| Press Escape | Exit focus mode |
Note: Clicking on empty canvas area does not exit focus mode — use the Focus button or Escape.
When you exit focus mode:
- Full board structure is restored (all columns, rows, and swimlanes)
- All cards and edges reappear
- A smooth 800ms morphing animation transitions back to the full layout
- Your previous zoom/pan position is preserved
What Stays Visible During Focus
Focus mode is decorator-aware — it preserves all visual context on focused cards:
| Element | During Focus |
|---|---|
| Card badges (story points, flags) | ✅ Visible |
| Card icons (status, priority, type) | ✅ Visible |
| Swimlane headers | ✅ Visible (for relevant lanes only) |
| Column/row separators | ✅ Visible (for relevant bands only) |
| Dependency edges (focused) | ✅ Visible |
| Dependency edges (unfocused) | ❌ Hidden |
| Unfocused cards | ❌ Hidden |
Use Cases
Trace a Blocker Chain Across Teams
A story is blocked. Select it and its blocking edge, then click Focus to instantly see the dependency chain — even if the blocking issue belongs to another team in a different swimlane. Follow the chain to the root cause without scrolling through the entire board.
Understand What Depends on a Feature
Select a key feature card and activate focus mode to see everything that depends on it. This answers the question “if this feature slips, what else is affected?” — critical for risk assessment during PI Planning.
Present During Standup or Review
Focus mode is a natural presentation tool. During a standup or sprint review, select the items under discussion and click Focus. The board automatically filters and zooms to show just the relevant context — no manual zooming or scrolling needed.
Tip: Focus mode works with any display device. On a large wall monitor, the auto-zoom fills the screen with the focused subset, making dependency chains visible from across the room.
Reduce Visual Noise on Large Boards
Boards with 200+ cards and dense dependencies can feel overwhelming. Focus mode lets you work with one thread at a time, then return to the full picture when ready.
Works With All Board Structures
Focus mode adapts to whatever board structure you’ve configured:
| Board Structure | Focus Behavior |
|---|---|
| Swimlanes (horizontal/vertical) | Shows only relevant swimlane bands; irrelevant rows/columns are hidden |
| Grouping (by epic, team, etc.) | Preserves group boundaries for focused cards |
| Nested dimensions | Multi-level headers adjust to focused content |
| Collapsed groups | Expands if focused card is inside a collapsed group |
| Semantic zoom levels | Works at any hierarchy level (stories, epics, etc.) |
Summary
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Activation | Select cards and/or edges, then click the Focus toolbar button |
| Exit | Click the Focus button again or press Escape |
| Visual effect | Unfocused elements are hidden/filtered out entirely |
| Auto-zoom | Fits focused subset to viewport |
| Animation | 800ms smooth morphing transition |
| Decorator-aware | Badges, icons, headers all preserved |
| Board compatibility | All structures: swimlanes, grouping, nested dimensions |