Board Structure
The board structure defines how cards are spatially organized through a hierarchy of swimlanes, groups, and links.
Board Studio builds the visualization in three layers, applied in priority order:
Layer 1: Swimlanes (Grid Structure)
Swimlanes create the spatial grid that organizes cards:
| Swimlane Type | Creates | Nesting |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical swimlanes | Columns | Unlimited nested levels |
| Horizontal swimlanes | Rows | Unlimited nested levels |
Swimlanes are applied in priority order — the first dimension in each list is the outermost level, creating a nested hierarchy. For example:Layer 2: Groups (Within Cells)
After swimlanes define the grid, groups organize cards within each cell:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Unlimited groups | Add as many grouping dimensions as needed |
| Not nested | Groups are flat, not hierarchical — each card belongs to one group |
| Collapsible | Click group header to expand/collapse |
| Aggregate links | Collapsed groups show merged link indicators |
Example: Group by Priority within each Sprint × Team cell to see High, Medium, and Low priority clusters.
Layer 3: Links (Dependencies)
Links visualize relationships between cards across the entire board:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Cross-cell connections | Links span across swimlanes and groups |
| Customizable styling | Color, line style, thickness, arrow type per link type |
| Visibility control | Show/hide specific link types (outward/inward) |
| Focus mode | Click a card to highlight its dependency chain |
Data Sources
A data source determines which Jira work items appear on your board.
Board Studio supports two types of data sources:
| Type | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Space | All work items in a Jira project | Project-wide views |
| Filter | Saved Jira filter (JQL query) | Cross-project views, custom work item sets |
Configurations
A configuration stores your board layout and display preferences.
Configurations include:
- Swimlane settings (vertical and horizontal dimensions)
- Grouping options
- Sorting order
- Link visibility and styling
- Separate linked cards toggle
You can save multiple configurations for the same data source to quickly switch between different views.
Swimlanes
Swimlanes divide the board into sections based on Jira field values.
| Type | Direction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical swimlanes | Vertical divisions (columns) | Sprint → arranges cards in vertical columns |
| Horizontal swimlanes | Horizontal divisions (rows) | Project → arranges cards in horizontal rows |
Combine both swimlane types to create a grid layout. Add multiple dimensions to each to create deeply nested hierarchies.
Unlimited Dimensions
There is no limit on dimension nesting or combinations.
You can add as many dimensions as needed to:
- Vertical swimlanes — nested column hierarchy
- Horizontal swimlanes — nested row hierarchy
- Grouping — flat card clusters within cells
This allows you to build views that match your exact planning needs, from simple single-dimension boards to complex multi-level program views.
Grouping
Grouping visually clusters related cards within swimlane cells.
Groups appear as bordered containers with headers. Key behaviors:
- Expand/Collapse — Click header to show or hide cards
- Collapse by dimension — Collapse all groups of a type at once
- Individual collapse — Collapse specific groups one by one
- Aggregate links — Collapsed groups show merged link indicators showing connection counts
Links
Links show relationships between work items based on Jira issue links.
Common link types:
- Blocks / Is blocked by — Dependency relationships
- Relates to — General relationships
- Parent / Child — Subtasks and epic relationships
- Clones / Is cloned by — Duplicate tracking
You can configure visibility (show/hide per type), styling (line style, color, thickness), and arrow direction for each link type.
Cards
Each card represents a single Jira work item.
Cards display:
- Issue key (e.g., PROJ-123)
- Summary (title)
- Status badge
- Priority indicator
- Avatars (project, creator, assignee)
Click a card to enter focus mode and highlight its dependency chain. Double-click to open the issue in Jira.
Focus Mode
Focus mode highlights a card and its dependencies while dimming unrelated cards.
When you click a card:
- Selected card is highlighted
- Connected cards (via links) are highlighted
- Unrelated cards fade to 50% opacity
- Dependency paths become prominent
Click outside any card to exit focus mode and restore normal view.