Community Redesign – Modernizing the Autodesk Forums - Feedback

[CGBenner]

[06/26/2025]

Post to the latest blog on the release this week

[06/11/2025]

Post to the latest blog on the release this week

[05/30/2025]

Post to the latest shareout of the listing of elements found / solved

Blog post to the latest announcement of the final migration round on the community

[5/15/2025]

The latest blog post is live and covers everything on the behind-the-scenes updates that are happening.

[5/7/2025]

The April Release Blog post is now live with updates on the Industry Hubs and more.
________________________________________________________________________________________

[Blog link in original post updated 3/6/2025]

Clarification as requested - 2/14/2025:  Any feedback in this forum thread that does not directly say that a feedback form has been submitted, and even some that does, is being captured and logged for the team to look into.  We may not respond directly to each post but we will add a "Like" to the post to indicate that we have seen and logged it.  If we have anything meaningful that we can add at the moment, we will reply with that.  If we do not reply, it means that we simply don't have anything to add to that request at the time.  We are adding links to the posts that we submit, and giving details on which individual post the team should look at, as well as including any images you share.  We do not have a way to add videos to the feedback form, but these are still welcome and appreciated, and we make a note of it on the form when we submit it so the team knows to look for the video.  Thank you!

Hello Community! 
 
As you can see from this recent blog post on our Autodesk Community Blog, the Autodesk Community Forums will soon be getting a new look and feel.  This new look is part of our efforts to modernize the community and place key resources where you can more easily find them. 
 
Some of you have had an early look at these updates during our recent A/B testing across the community. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who shared their feedback during this phase. Your insights and comments have been instrumental in refining this design.  Here are some of the changes you will see: 

• Updated Forums experience: Enhanced navigation, optimized mobile experience, new threaded posts and the ability to upvote content. 

• Recommended content: Explore new content sections featuring suggested blog posts, events, and additional resources tailored to your interests.  

• Recognition for top contributors: Visual recognition to help you get to know the most active members in the community. 

• Changes based on your A/B test feedback: We’ve made several updates based on your valuable feedback detailed in the Product News posts on our Autodesk Community Blog.  

We would love to continue to hear your feedback on this redesign, so we have created a feedback form, which you can bookmark for future use, to report any issues or suggestions that you have. 
 
For more details on this release, I invite you to read the full blog post on our Community Blog. 

Thank you all for being a part of this Community! 

[ChrisRS]

I expect to have more information later this week.

That may influence my initial reaction.

Thus far, I am unimpressed.

Form should ever follow function. This feels like form flummoxing function.

I am currently not aware of the modernization project goals.

@CGBenner, I know the wording of this post comes from elsewhere.
I read the source post.

I find it to be different from my experience.

Thank you for being the public face of this project, Chris.

You are a brave man.

[ChrisRS]

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@pendean wrote:

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Very concise! 

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

It may be contrary to other commenters, but that is not unusual for either you or, me.

[C_Haines_ENG]

Past what everyone else is saying, can we get an "Unsolved" filter on these forms? I know there is an "Unanswered" filter but that only filters people who haven't gotten ANY reponse, not just that their question wasn't solved. Its hard to find people who need help if someone or especially themselves commented on their thread and now it can only be found in the mass of posts. 

[ChrisRS]

Regarding the comment form:

1. The [Report a website issue] button leads to a form that creates a trackable post in a deeply buried forum.
   I think this functionality would be useful here.
2. I know this is an ad hoc form serving a limited and hopefully short-term purpose.
   I do have a couple of observations.
   I know the comment box is expandable.
   I am lazy and have gotten used to pasting screenshots without creating a file.
   (The [Report a website issue] form allows pasting screenshots.)

[alexisDVJML]

Glad to learn just now that I've been used as guinea pig without being informed for the "new" forum UI /s
I already reported everywhere I could how this UX is unusable.
So I don't have more to say.

Oh actually I have:
- maybe just look at the poll another user created.
- wondering how someone can have thought that such a UX would be better and decided to frustrate many of us by putting us in a blind A/B test.

Please note I appreciate the recent revival of Navisworks version etc., so my negative comments is ONLY for this disastrous experiment.
Please restore functional forums ASAP and keep efforts on Navisworks itself.

Thanks.

[alexisDVJML]

Here my original report, without reply from Navisworks, just for reference.
Did the Forum User Interface just changed (for the worst) or is it just me 

[paullimapa]

In the upper right hand corner of each post of the new look there's an Options drop down and at the very bottom there's a Printer Friendly Page selection which presents the page like the way the forum used to look. But afterwards I don't see the Options drop down menu to go back...The only way to go back is to click the Back arrow button on the browser.

[CGBenner]

@alexisDVJML 

"maybe just look at the poll another user created."

That is interesting... can you share where this poll was posted?

[Valentin_CAD]

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@CGBenner wrote:

@alexisDVJML 

"maybe just look at the poll another user created."

That is interesting... can you share where this poll was posted?

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• Are you in favor or against the new Autodesk forum format. - Poll

[CGBenner]

@Valentin_CAD @alexisDVJML 

Where was this shared, or was it sent via email?  I'm just looking for context on who the respondents are before I share this with the team.
Thank you both.

[Valentin_CAD]

@CGBenner ,

Maybe Autodesk should create a similar poll and see what the forum community prefers.

According to that poll, everyone so far is against it.

As the phrase goes, "The customer is always right".

[m_kingdon]

@CGBenner 

Are we really doing this again, seriously?  We have been through this process already and many very dedicated members have given up a lot of time to provide detailed feedback already.

 Some of you have had an early look at these updates during our recent A/B testing across the community. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who shared their feedback during this phase. Your insights and comments have been instrumental in refining this design.  Here are some of the changes you will see: 

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You must understand that this statement currently sounds incredibly hollow.  Your team has received so much feedback already and the only changes made were the reintroduction of the rank badges?  It is probably the lowest hanging fruit your team could have picked.  There are many more important problems with the current design that are still present. 

And you want more feedback?  You want us to continue to give our time to provide feedback?  Given the amount of feedback your team has already receive and the negligible influenced that feedback has had on the current design I feel like it would be pointless and a waste of our time.

Please help me understand how this will work.

[lizGYM66]

On mobile at least it’s worse I think. A lot less legible and a lot of wasted white space. Just my 2 cents of course. Haven’t looked on desktop. 

[kerry_w_brown]

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@fieldguy wrote:

While you are sorting out this date issue... I had suggested that the latest post date be added to the "wasted white space" during the A/B test phase.  This information was available "at a glance" in the old forum.

 

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@fieldguy ,  @CGBenner 

I had exactly the same thought ! , that display was very natural and informative . . . even, I'd say , professional.
I'd assumed the 'team' was trying to save a time-tick.

Stay well,

[kerry_w_brown]

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@ChrisRS wrote:

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@pendean wrote:

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Very concise! 

I have no idea what you are trying to say.

It may be contrary to other commenters, but that is not unusual for either you or, me.

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I'd initially thought it was an obligatory expression of joy, but it's more a visual of the exploding expectations of  discontented forum users.
I've noticed that most of the comments are from experienced users who attempt to provide peer to peer support for AutoDesk products.   

Stay well,

[pendean]

@kerry_w_brown @ChrisRS I was expressing my readiness to just "get on with it", I don't have any comments to make on the new interface as I (and a few other old-timers around here) tend to just go with the flow and where needed just fix it all on our end with browser tools like STYLEBOT (my personal favorite).

It is still a work in progress (getting done what I can today, the first time I've had a chance) but here is where I stopped personalizing the forums to suit my needs so far (notice the higher readability between unread and read too). this represents maybe 15-minutes work from my lunch hour today

@CGBenner 

[Curtis_Waguespack]

@Curtis_Waguespack: "what's the ETA or plan for having a list or some visibility into which bugs and issues have been reported"
@CGBenner: This has been escalated so I can find out more for you.

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😂 🤣 😜 😓 😢 😑 

We were told this was to be done multiple times in December, but no one delivered.

And I literally asked about this 3 times last week and on the 10th was finally told "Absolutely, Chris will be on point on reported issue updates." in reference to this.
But it's just been escalated today... I'll create a reminder to check back in 6 weeks. 😉

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@pendean wrote:

@kerry_w_brown @ChrisRS I was expressing my readiness to just "get on with it", I don't have any comments to make on the new interface as I (and a few other old-timers around here) tend to just go with the flow and where needed just fix it all on our end with browser tools like STYLEBOT (my personal favorite).

It is still a work in progress (getting done what I can today, the first time I've had a chance) but here is where I stopped personalizing the forums to suit my needs so far (notice the higher readability between unread and read too). this represents maybe 15-minutes work from my lunch hour today

CSS edits solve the issues for those of us that can do it, but does nothing to help usability for new users and the community as a whole.

I hope that the solution to this mess doesn't end up being all of us running custom CSS edits MadMax style, but a post apocalyptic, everybody fend for themselves community experience is looking more likely 😂

 

[a.laasW8M6T]

As far as I can tell there aren't actually any "Improvements"

Lets break this down:

• Updated Forums experience: Enhanced Degraded navigation, optimized Much worse mobile experience, new threaded posts(Possibly an enhancement to some but I have it turned of as its confusing to follow) and the ability to upvote content(Unneeded Feature). 

• Recommended content: Explore new content sections featuring suggested blog posts, events, and additional resources tailored to your interests.  (Where is this?)

• Recognition for top contributors: Visual(Now down the bottom of the page) recognition to help you get to know the most active members in the community. (This already existed and had a meaningful metric(Accepted solutions), now is way down the bottom of the page where no one goes and has unknown criteria for appearing on it)

• Changes based on your A/B test feedback: We’ve made several updates based on your valuable feedback detailed in the Product News posts on our Autodesk Community Blog.  (All of the Changes were to fix regressions to the forum compared to the Old format, there were no "Improvements" other than fixes to bring back functionality that was removed)

The thing is, at the end of the day, it just looks BAD and is less functional than before

I find it astounding that after all the Feedback during the (Poorly announced)Testing period that it was no good, that Autodesk would continue with the project and Ram it though with out having a serious rethink and regroup about the goals they were trying to achieve as it was very obvious to anyone following along that it was NOT the right direction.

I will add that I'm always excited for new and Improved UI on products I use, I'm not just complaining because I don't like change it's just that this isn't improved.

[Simon_Weel]

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Please know that in the many posts across these forums since the A/B test began, each and every comment (that we were aware of) was read, acknowledged and logged.

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You want feedback. You got feedback. Thing is, if you ask for feedback and people provide you with feedback, most of that people expect some kind of response. "But we thanked all people for their feedback!" you might say. I'm not 'all people'. Thanking all people doesn't apply to me. That's one.

Second thing. With all feedback gathered and evaluated, why not post that list? That will provide us with some insight into what feedback is honoured and what not. Preferably with a reason why some things won't be done. That way, the persons that provided feedback know their feedback is read, giving peace of mind. It will also stop people from submitting ideas already supplied and rejected.