I want Content Preferences to be a “gear” icon or a popup menu (View Options) available dynamically for each app. It doesn’t have to be above the fold it could be in the footer next to the Theme drop down.

From a UX stand point in the current implementation users are making an uninformed decision altering a view out of context, or have to decipher from the text and assume the what the change actually does and have to hit a save button. - If you are indecisive or enjoy various views this process is tedious.

If the user was on the forum index and you make the change with one click the change is visible and instant reinforces the intent of the text.

For myself I toggle condensed and expanded view ALL THE TIME. In the current iteration it’s over 6 clicks or more if you trying to get back to the forum / page you were on. This one needs to be restored as a toggle button or view option in the header section (Mark Forum As Read / Sort By / Filter By)

• Forum Index View

  • Table: A traditional forum index table view.

  • Grid: Display forums as cards in a grid.

  • Fluid: A simpler dynamic listing topics with a forum filter box.

    Fluid view works best with fewer forums with less complex hierarchies. The fluid view selector will only display up to three levels deep.

  • NEW Content Focused: Card View

    Show multiple recent topics from each forum with a grid image for each forum row.

• Topic List View

  • Condensed View: Show topics as a list.

  • Expanded View: Show topics with a preview of the post.

• Topic View

  • Classic: Show posts with an author sidebar.

  • NEW Content Focused: Simplified View

    Show posts with a smaller and simplified author area above the content.

• Default Store Layout

  • Grid: show products as cards

  • List: show products in a list

• Downloads Category View

  • Table: A traditional table view

  • Grid: Display files as cards in a grid

• Blog view

  • Table: Traditional table view

  • Grid: Display entries as cards

• Courses View

  • List: Display courses in a list

  • Grid: Display courses as cards in a grid

Edited August 29Aug 29 by Ocean West

We wanted a cleaner UI, not more buttons and cogs on random pages.

We really urge you to pick a layout that works for your community and stick with it. Most people are not toggling between views constantly. If you did want a quicker way to toggle, then you could create multiple themes with the required presets and then you can just change themes to toggle between modes.

all activity allows for Condensed / Expanded - I don’t find this distracting.

for most people they won’t have access to this but as an ADMIN I wear different hats I like to be able to think freely and change views otherwise once set it will be forever forgotten and all the work that went in to the new IPS features will go unloved and un noticed.

I may not like a view when there is only minimum content but when more content is available it may be more inspiring, to view in a different manner.

I dislike setting things in the blind I want to make a view change and remain in context - anything else is just unnecessary cognitive load.

I hear you, but we’re not going to budge on this. We have a clear vision with 5 and part of that is a cleaner UI to reduce overwhelm for the 99% who just want to get in get the info, post their questions and thoughts and get on with their day.

As mentioned above, if you want to create admin only themes with different layouts then that is still very much possible so it would work like this:

In 4: You go to the top and click a button
In 5: You go to the bottom and click the theme selector.

You get to toggle between layouts with ease, your members aren’t left with settings overwhelm.

We are clearly not on the same page with this, you are taking a highly opinionated view on how we should manage our sites experience. It should be in our control.

I don’t want separate themes that is a management nightmare.

Can you at the very least create a URL endpoint that would effectively toggles each of these settings saving it to my preferences. I can create my own widget or menu item (visible to users or groups as I see fit ) to instant toggle setting without changing the current context?

On 9/6/2024 at 4:40 PM, Ocean West said:

you are taking a highly opinionated view on how we should manage our sites experience. It should be in our control.

Does Facebook, X or Snapchat allow you (the member) to change layouts?

You as the site owner can set up your site exactly how you want it. Your members can change the layouts if you permit it. They just have to do it via their User Control Panel, or via switching themes.

humor me,

A simple Menu “View Options” at the bottom of the page next to themes is a very low ask here, and keeps your “UI clean” - I am advocating for the end users’ expectations and experience - fora user to be able to click and see the effects without having to round trip to the users preferences.

at the very least have similar endpoints that we can inject our own preferences and choices?

/?do=setMethod&method=grid

or

/?do=setMethod&method=table

or

/?do=setMethod&method=fluid

or

/?do=setMethod&method=snippet

or even

/?&view=expanded and /?&view=compact

One could easily build an app to add buttons almost anywhere on the page that will toggle preferences. We don’t really need to add restful API endpoints for it.