Create or refine Task icon
Summary
Create a Task
type icon to differentiate tasks from other work item / issue types.
Task Background
A task is a smaller part of an issue. In Agile planning, teams often utilize a hierarchical structure of work to be done such as epic > story > task.
In that model a PM might create the epic and story, and an EM might work with the team to break down the story into technical work to be done. The story represents the end goal, and the tasks the steps to get there.
In GitLab today "Issues" are serving both "story" and "task" purposes, with customers relying on labels to differentiate types or using checklists within issues to build out tasks. Breaking out tasks as discrete objects allows us to target features uniquely to issues, which are unnecessary for tasks (and vice versa) — allowing users to more easily get to what's relevant to them. Unique types also make it more clear in different views what type of work this is: we want users to be able to quickly understand from a board, roadmap, list, or anywhere else what type of work they're looking at. Since different users within the same team may utilize "issues" and "tasks" in different ways, being able to filter, view, and manage these types will help each user manage the parts they care about.
More detail: &7103
Icon use cases
Inline type denotation
Icon paired typically with title or ID to show issue / work item type.
Surface work item type in popovers, work item d... (#366207 - closed)
Hierarchy widget iteration 1 (&8135 - closed)
Type selection
Original Proposal
Following the same model as existing issue-type icons, this could be:
Format | A. Check | B. Checklist | C. Checkbox |
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Issue/Work Item Type | ![]() |
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Types at Once | ![]() |
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Unbounded | ![]() |
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Preference is for Option A as this avoids being a mirror image of Requirement type. Considerations:
- Overall our icon set has many instances of checks used in different ways, however this is a very strong metaphor for "task"
- Other metaphors include an unchecked checkbox, which feels too ambiguous and could imply unintended interaction; a clipboard, which is used for review icons and is a less clear metaphor; a list or bulleted list, both of which are used with other meanings today; and a sticky note, which is more often used in a note/annotation context
- The "list with checks" metaphor (B) is utilized in slightly different formats already, most notably by Requirements
- The "checkbox" metaphor is utilized in todos; a check in a filled, rounded box is similar but seems reasonably distinct