Sprint Planner - Real-time Agile Estimation Tool

Sprint Planner is a sophisticated real-time collaborative estimation tool built for agile teams to efficiently conduct planning poker sessions. The application enables distributed teams to seamlessly estimate story points, effort, and other metrics in a synchronized, interactive environment.

Technical Architecture

• Frontend: React 19 with TypeScript and Vite
• State Management: XState for sophisticated state machines
• UI Framework: Materialize CSS for responsive design
• Backend: Node.js with Express and TypeScript
• Real-time Communication: Socket.io for WebSockets
• Routing: React Router v7
• Theme Support: Customizable light/dark mode
• Notifications: React Toastify for user alerts

Key Features

Real-time Collaboration

• Instant synchronization of voting sessions across all connected users
• Live user presence indicators showing who’s in the room
• Real-time updates when team members join or leave

Customizable Estimation Framework

• Create and manage custom estimation categories (story points, LOE, testing hours)
• Design custom voting cards with team-specific values
• Flexible voting scales to match team preferences

Interactive Voting Experience

• Clear voting session management for admins
• Anonymous voting until all votes are revealed
• Visual indicators of who has and hasn’t voted

Results Visualization

• Automatic statistical analysis of voting results
• Interactive pie charts showing distribution of votes
• Clear indication of winning estimates
• Option to save and track estimation history

Admin Controls

• Room creation with shareable links
• Session management (start/stop/reset voting)
• Category and card editing permissions
• Exclusive control over results revelation

User-Friendly Interface

• Intuitive card selection for voting
• Real-time feedback on session status
• Responsive design for desktop and mobile use
• Dark/light theme options for accessibility

User Experience

For Session Admins

Admins (the first person to create a room) can:

• Initiate a new planning room with a custom name
• Share a generated room ID or URL with team members
• Create custom categories and estimation values
• Control the voting flow (start/end sessions)
• Reveal results when voting is complete
• Manage the room settings and user access

For Team Members

Participants can:

• Join sessions via room ID or direct link
• Vote using the provided estimation cards
• See who else has voted (without seeing values until revealed)
• View results visualizations after voting ends
• Participate in successive estimation rounds

Technical Implementation

• WebSocket Architecture: Bidirectional real-time communication between server and clients
• State Machine: XState implementation for predictable UI states and transitions
• Room Management: Sophisticated room creation, joining, and synchronization logic
• Responsive UI: Carefully crafted interface that works across devices
• Theme System: Context-based theme switching with persistent preferences
• Event Handling: Robust socket event system for reliable message delivery

Future Roadmap

Sprint Planner is evolving with planned enhancements including:

• Persistent data storage with database integration
• User authentication and profiles
• Sprint history and reporting features
• In-app messaging and discussion functionality
• Custom team templates and presets
• Integration with popular project management tools
• Advanced analytics on team estimation patterns
• Enhanced accessibility features
• Customizable room permissions and roles
• Mobile-native applications