What is the difference between a Retro Board and a Canvas Board?

Problem This Solves

Understand the key differences between column-structured retro boards and freeform visual canvases in LetRetro.

When to Use This

Sign in to LetRetro and navigate to your workspace Dashboard.

Prerequisites

• Sign in to LetRetro and navigate to your workspace Dashboard.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Access the Board Creation Modal: On your Overview (/dashboard) or Boards (/dashboard/boards) page, click the black + Create board button in the top right corner.
2. Compare the Two Board Formats: Notice the two tabs at the top of the modal: Retro board and Canvas board.
3. Retro Board Structure: A Retro Board is pre-divided into structured reflection columns (e.g., START, STOP, CONTINUE, OUTCOMES, GOALS). It is tailored for structured timeboxed agile ceremonies, column-by-column card submissions, card dragging, and Facilitation Mode.
4. Canvas Board Space: A Canvas board provides an open, two-dimensional spatial workspace designed for freeform diagramming, sticky note mapping, and unstructured brainstorming without column constraints.
5. Filtering Views on Dashboard: On the Boards directory (/dashboard/boards), toggle between the Board and Canvas pill switches to filter your spaces by type.

Expected Outcome

You can accurately select the appropriate board format for your team's objective: structured retrospective ceremonies or open spatial whiteboard collaboration.

Troubleshooting & Realistic Tips

• Once a board is created as a Retro board or Canvas board, its primary mode cannot be interchanged. If you need both, create separate spaces under the appropriate tab.