Timer & facilitation tools
The timer and presence stack are there so you can focus on the conversation instead of the clock.
The timer
Click the timer in the board header to open controls. It defaults to 5 minutes (configurable 1–60). The timer is per board and synced through Supabase realtime — every participant sees the countdown tick in unison, and start / pause / reset is reflected for everyone immediately.
Controls
- Play starts the countdown.
- Pause stops it where it is.
- Reset restores the clock to the currently configured duration.
- Settings opens a dialog with quick-pick buttons (1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes) or a number input for any duration between 1 and 60.
What happens when it hits zero
A browser notification fires (if you’ve granted permission) and a toast appears in-app. The timer turns teal while it’s running so it’s easy to see at a glance.
Presence
The avatar stack in the board header shows who’s currently on the board. It updates in real time — a teammate’s avatar appears the moment they land on the URL, and disappears when they navigate away.
Facilitation patterns
Per-phase resets
When you move to a new phase (writing → reading → voting), reset the timer and pick a new duration. Everyone sees the change.
Mini-timers for deep dives
For each top-voted discussion item, set a 3–5 minute timer. The time-box keeps the conversation crisp.
Anonymous writing
If you want the candor of a "silent writing" phase, enable anonymous posts in Board settings before the retro starts. Author names are hidden on that board.