Level Up Your Workflow: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Project in Jira

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Level 1: What is a Jira Project?

Have you ever worked on a project and felt like it was just too much to handle all at once? We've all been there! That's why Jira is here to help. In Jira, we like to think of a project as a 🪄 magical container that can hold all of your tasks and help you keep track of them. These tasks are called "issues," but don't worry - they're not as scary as they sound! By organizing and tracking your issues in Jira, you and your team can work together towards achieving your goals more efficiently and stress-free.

Jira Software is an amazing tool for teams to track and resolve bugs, launch new features, and so much more. Projects are highly configurable and can be easily customized to fit your team's unique way of working, regardless of your organizational structure, workflow, or level of agile maturity. 

Your projects are in the top navigation in the “Projects” drop-down.

Ready to Level Up? Press START ▶️

 

When it comes to any project, there are always a bunch of tasks that need to be done, people who are making things happen, and processes that help move that work forward. 

In Jira, projects are like big goals that have been broken down into bite-sized pieces of work called 'issues.'  

Jira Software makes it easy for teams to plan and track work together so that you can get more done. Plus, you can invite your teammates to your Jira project and work together seamlessly. 

To ensure your team is always on track, Jira projects follow a process or workflow that helps manage issues from start to finish. Don't worry; these workflows can be customized to match your team's unique way of working.

  

Level 2: Choose Your Adventure

Templates

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to set up a project and jump right in, Jira has got you covered with several project templates that are tailored to specific teams or use cases. These templates come with pre-configured issue types, workflows, and other relevant features so you can get started right away. If you're not sure which template to use, the Kanban and Scrum templates are two of the most popular ones. You can check out the Jira templates library for more information. 

Project Types

Unlock New Skills: Create Your First Project!

Select ‘Create Project’ from the top navigation in the ‘Projects’ drop-down.

Note: You won’t see this option if you don’t have the permissions <LINK> to create projects

Map Your Adventure: Defining the Journey to Project Completion

While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to structuring projects in Jira, it's crucial to remember that Jira projects are built for ongoing efforts, not single-shot endeavors. This guide outlines key strategies to help you decide how to best organize your project in Jira:

• By Team: A popular method that mirrors your existing social structure. Ideal for smaller teams and straightforward permission management. Imagine dedicated "team channels" within your workflow, streamlining access and collaboration.
• By Business Unit: Group projects by broader units like Marketing or IT. This aligns similar work types, simplifying workflow and issue type (think specialized tools for different tasks) setup. Picture categorizing your project map by department, each focusing on distinct activities and goals.
• By Product: If you're in software development and leverage Jira's release and versioning system, consider organizing by releasable products or feature groups sharing a release cycle. This resembles organizing your project based on specific objectives or "levels" you need to conquer.

Remember, these are starting points! You can get granular or broad, like segmenting your product structure by individual features (think dividing your main objective into smaller sub-tasks).

Key Considerations:

• Project Scope and Complexity: Larger, more intricate projects might benefit from a hybrid approach, combining multiple structures.
• Team Dynamics and Collaboration Style: Choose a structure that fosters communication and transparency within your team.
• Reporting and Visibility Needs: Ensure your chosen structure facilitates clear reporting and visibility for stakeholders.

Remember: Experimentation is key! Different structures may suit different projects. Be flexible and adapt based on your specific needs and team preferences.

By taking these considerations into account and exploring the available options, you can create a project structure in Jira that empowers your team, streamlines workflows, and ultimately leads to project success.

For an even more detailed explanation for how to get started (without this gamified flair!), check out this fantastic Jira Software Getting Started Guide!

[Andy Gladstone]

@Amanda Barber thanks for this easy-to-read and easy-to-remember article. I love the comparison to a quest in a RPG. It's too bad that there is no cross-post feature in the Community (yet) - this one should be pinned to the New to Jira group. As a seasoned Jira user and admin myself I appreciate these reminders about the basics of what Jira is meant to do for individuals and teams.

[Tuncay Senturk]

Thanks @Amanda Barber , I truly enjoyed reading this. Thank you for sharing it.

[Summer Hogan]

Thank you for sharing this @Amanda Barber! This is very valuable information! I agree with @Andy Gladstone that this should be pinned to the New to Jira group! 

[Dave Mathijs]

Just love the way this is written and presented, great article @Amanda Barber !

[Amanda Barber]

Thanks, everyone! It was a fun one to write. 👾

[Thorsten Letschert _Decadis AG_]

Great article. And even better visuals!

[Anna-Karin Carlsson]

Looking forward to be as skilled in Jira and Confluence as in gaming... Excellent and inspiring article!

[Al Chen]

Great article! I think one thing I'd like to see is how teams transition from a team-managed to a company-managed project. If a team is successfully using a team-managed project and wants to grow (perhaps have issues on a kanban from multiple projects), they'll face some migration challenges when moving from TMP to CMP.

[Amanda Barber]

@Al Chen - that sounds like an excellent discussion starter! I don't have any experience since my teams have always stuck with company-managed projects, but I can see how this would easily happen with certain teams. 

[Pip Bennington]

Great article, super clear about how to start the solves some of the common questions.!

[Juan Carlos Cabrera]

@Amanda Barber thanks for bringing it down to the gamer level. That way it going to be more memorable and meaningful for a great many of us!