Github Labels
GitHub default labels are terrible! Here’s some thoughts for better labels
First, labels serve many annotation purposes, and so categories are useful. I prefer the three categories of: status, priority, and type. Each label will begin with its category name, then a colon, then the uiniqe label name.
Second, random colors are a bad idea; you could get a very strong color on a not-so-important label. I think I prefer one color group per category, but I’m still evaluating this.
An Initial Label Set
Category Status:
- Status:to-do – going to be started in the next few sprints
- Status:in-progress – being worked on
- Status:blocked – was in progress but something is preventing work
- Status:done – is finished
- Status:on-hold – (optional) something not intended to be worked on soon; this could also be represented by no status label at all
Category Priority:
- Priority:critical – a bug or something that must be done ASAP
- Priority:essential – a must do for the project, not optional
- Priority:desireable – a strong want, but perhaps not essential
- Priority:optional – would be nice but not very important
- Priority:idea – (optional) something to think about, could be represented by no priority label at all
Category Type:
- Type:user-story – a feature issue captured as a user story
- Type:feature – a product feature not described as a user story
- Type:foundation – product functionality that is internal and not directly an outward feature
- Type:bug – an issue that describes a known bug that needs fixed
- Type:documentation – an issue describing documentation work to be done
- Type:improvement – work that can improve the product, such as refactoring, performance improvements, etc.
Label Colors
I have an orangish-red palette for my priority labels, a green palette for my status labels, and a blue palette for my type labels. I currently use a single hue or color which then gets lighter and darker, and have darker colors for the “higher” priorities and statuses, but I’m not sure that’s the best. A decently eye-pleasing palette could have different hues rather than darker/lighter. Do what seems pleasing to you but that helps you distinguish label categories.