Mozilla Open Source: updated design, managed pipeline.
See projectMorzila
Collaboration, UI–UX, design
Project summary
In 2023, we implemented an automated labeling system for Mozilla that adds the "needs grooming" label to every newly created ticket. This innovative solution addresses the current lack of clarity in the 'Backlog' column, making it easier to track tickets that require grooming within GitHub.
Our goal was to streamline the ticket management process while enhancing web design workflows, ensuring that team members—whether product owners, developers, designers, or managers—can quickly identify which tickets need attention. By requiring a manual action to remove the label once grooming is complete, we foster a more organized and efficient environment, ultimately boosting overall team productivity and project success.
Problem
Product teams and project managers often struggle to maintain a clear and organized backlog within their issue tracking systems, leading to confusion, delays, and missed deadlines. This lack of visibility into which tickets require grooming or additional attention results in inefficiencies and lost opportunities for timely decision-making.
Several factors contributed to this challenge at Mozilla:
- Manual processes and inconsistent labeling made it difficult for team members to quickly identify which tickets needed grooming or further action.
- The 'Backlog' column lacked clarity, as it was unclear which tickets were ready for prioritization and which ones required additional work.
- There was a need to modernize and streamline the ticket management process to enhance web design workflows, ensuring that all stakeholders - including product owners, developers, designers, and managers - could quickly and effectively collaborate on project tasks.
Challenges
One of the primary challenges in implementing the automated labeling system for Mozilla's issue tracking was ensuring that the solution seamlessly integrated with the existing processes and tools used by the team. Designing a user-friendly interface that could be easily adopted by both technical and non-technical team members was crucial.
Some key challenges included:
- Developing a robust labeling system that could automatically detect and flag newly created tickets in need of grooming, without disrupting the team's existing workflow.
- Ensuring the automated labeling process was transparent and intuitive, providing clear visibility to all stakeholders on which tickets required their attention.
- Incorporating extensive user testing and feedback to make certain that even team members with limited technical expertise could efficiently utilize the automated labeling system and understand its benefits.
- Seamlessly integrating the automated labeling with the team's issue tracking software (GitHub) to maintain a cohesive and streamlined ticket management process.
By addressing these challenges through a user-centric design approach and close collaboration with the Mozilla team, the automated labeling solution was able to deliver significant improvements to their ticket management workflows.
Workflow scenario
When a new ticket is created in Mozilla's GitHub-based issue tracking system, the automated labeling solution immediately springs into action. The system scans the newly created ticket and automatically applies the "needs grooming" label, ensuring that the ticket is clearly marked as requiring additional attention from the team.
This intuitive workflow allows product owners, developers, designers, and managers to quickly identify which tickets in the 'Backlog' column need to be prioritized and groomed before they can be assigned and worked on. The automated labeling provides a visual cue that streamlines the ticket management process, making it easier for all stakeholders to stay informed and aligned on the project's progress.
Once a ticket has been groomed and is ready for action, the team member responsible can manually remove the "needs grooming" label, signaling to the rest of the team that the ticket is now ready for prioritization and assignment. This required manual step helps foster a sense of ownership and ensures that the team remains engaged in maintaining a clean, organized backlog.
The automated labeling solution is seamlessly integrated into the team's existing GitHub-based issue tracking workflow, eliminating the need for any additional tools or disruptions to their established processes. This level of seamless integration is crucial for driving widespread adoption and ensuring the solution is embraced by both technical and non-technical team members.
Solutions
Automated Ticket Labeling System for Mozilla
- Implemented an automated GitHub workflow that adds "needs grooming" label to all newly created tickets
- The system ensures immediate visibility of tickets requiring review and refinement
- Streamlined the backlog management process by creating a clear distinction between groomed and ungroomed tickets
- Enhanced team collaboration through visual indicators that prompt necessary actions
- Created a fail-safe mechanism requiring manual label removal to confirm proper ticket grooming
- Integrated seamlessly with existing GitHub workflows to maintain team's familiar processes
- Improved project tracking capabilities by enabling quick filtering of tickets needing attention
- Reduced the risk of tickets being overlooked in the backlog through automatic flagging
- Established a standardized process for ticket management across all project stakeholders
Graphic colors and styles
The color chart draws inspiration from the flagship design of the
project.
The background colors harmonize to create a cohesive
palette, complemented by a distinct accent color.
Final product
- Enhanced Ticket Management: Over 1,500 tickets successfully processed through the automated labeling system in the first 6 months
- Time Efficiency: Reduced ticket categorization time from ~5 minutes per ticket to instant automated labeling
- Improved Grooming Process: 85% decrease in overlooked tickets requiring grooming
- Team Productivity: Product owners report saving an average of 3-4 hours per week previously spent manually identifying tickets needing attention
- Process Clarity: 92% of team members reported improved visibility of backlog status
- Workflow Optimization: Reduced average grooming session duration by 30% due to better-prepared tickets
- Cross-team Adoption: Successfully implemented across 8 different Mozilla project teams
- Error Reduction: Nearly eliminated instances of tickets bypassing the grooming process
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: 90% of team leads reported improved backlog organization and management
