🧭 Navigation & State Persistence

[vasconceloscezar]

Summary

Improve navigation flow and remember user preferences/state. Users repeatedly lose context when navigating and have to reconfigure settings.

Problems Identified

1. Context Loss When Closing Settings

Current: Closing project settings redirects to Forge home, not previous view.
Impact: Extra navigation, lost scroll position, lost filter state.

Current Flow:

Kanban → Settings → Close → Home ❌

Expected Flow:

Kanban → Settings → Close → Kanban ✅

Solution:

• Track "return to" location before opening settings
• Close button returns to previous route
• Or: Settings as modal/sidebar instead of full page

2. No LLM Model Persistence

Current: Model selection resets, doesn't remember last choice.
Impact: Users re-select preferred model repeatedly.

Solution:

• Remember last used model globally
• Remember last used model per-project (optional)
• Quick-switch to recent models

3. Last View Not Restored

Current: Opening Forge always goes to home/default view.
Impact: Users navigate to same project repeatedly.

Solution:

• Remember last opened project
• Restore last view on app open
• "Recent Projects" quick access

4. Filter/Sort State Not Persisted

Current: Kanban filters reset on navigation.
Impact: Users re-apply filters constantly.

Solution:

• Persist filter state per-project in localStorage
• Persist sort preference
• "Clear Filters" button to reset

5. Breadcrumb Improvements

Current: Breadcrumb navigation could be clearer.

Solution:

• Clickable breadcrumb segments
• Show current location clearly
• Quick navigation to parent views

Acceptance Criteria

• Closing settings returns to previous view
• Last used LLM model is remembered
• App restores last viewed project on open
• Kanban filters persist across navigation
• Breadcrumbs are fully navigable

Technical Notes

Storage:

• localStorage for client-side preferences
• Consider: user preferences table for cross-device sync (future)

Implementation:

• React Router state or context for "return to"
• Zustand/localStorage for preferences
• URL params for shareable filter state

Team Feedback Sources

• Feedback 1: Settings navigation context loss
• Feedback 6: State persistence, last view, model memory

Priority

🟡 P1 - High (2/6 feedbacks, constant friction)