Customize Jira interface for dummies

[Folkert Roscam Abbing]

Hi,

We are expanding use of Jira withing our company, and are encouraging disciplines outside of software engineering (let's call them "dummies" for the sake of this topic) to make use of Jira for reporting issues, keep track of tasks in a project, etc. However, the interface as it is is quite challenging as for dummies most of the fields are not needed or used.

Is it possible to greatly reduce the interface for these users, while still allowing the "power users" to keep using all the functions and plugins if they want?

Hereby an example of the current interface of the "issues" screen with highlighted in red all the fields which are typically not used by dummies, but which are used by power user.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

As soon as you start to limit sharing, you've lost the point of being open and transparent.  You should be exposing all of those to your "dummies" - you simply cannot know if they may find them useful, and even if you could, and you hide stuff, you open yourself up to "we don't know what you're doing, so we don't trust you".

So, Jira doesn't support this.

[Folkert Roscam Abbing]

Hmm I guess in that case the "open" philosophy you describe makes Jira inherently less suitable for this usecase then.

Please note that hiding things is not because of a desire for secrecy or deliberately hiding information from some people. Instead, many people simply have no need for say a "git" plugin since they do not use git. So if they could, they would choose to not view that part of the screen. I know for a fact that people find certain aspects not useful, since these people tell me this.

From a user experience/interface perspective, it makes perfect sense to not show people information they do not wish or need to see.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I understand the desire for simplicity, but on the most part, hiding stuff in its name is the wrong thing to do.

If your "dummies" really do want a simplified interface then I'd be looking at something intended for it - move them to Service Desk customers, as they don't need to see anything else.