We’re testing a new Forums experience – feedback welcomed

[amanda.k]

Edit 1/13/2025 - Please see the latest news regarding the Community Redesign – Modernizing the Autodesk Forums in the linked post. 

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Hello Autodesk Community,  

We have launched an A/B test to explore a new and improved forums experience. This test will help us understand what works best for you and ensure that our forums remain an engaging place for everyone, and that you’re easily able to find relevant information for your needs.   

What This Means for You:  

Random Selection: Some users will continue to see the current layout (Group A), while other users will see the new forum layout (Group B).

No Action Needed: You don’t need to do anything differently. Just use the forums as you normally would.  

Valuable Feedback: Your interactions and feedback are incredibly important to us. They will guide us in making the best possible improvements. We welcome feedback in a reply to this post, or you can DM @amanda.k.   

Why Are We Doing This?  

Our goal is to enhance your experience by making the forums more user-friendly, intuitive, and enjoyable. By testing different layouts and features, we can identify what truly resonates with you. We’re also looking to make sure that you can find and see all the additional features and benefits we offer in the Community – such as Events and Blogs.    

  

How You Can Help:  

Engage and Explore: If you’re part of Group A, we encourage you to explore the new features and share your thoughts.  

Share Your Feedback: Whether you’re in Group A or Group B, your feedback is crucial. Let us know what you like, what you don’t, and any suggestions you have.  

  

Thank you for being a part of our community and helping us create the best forums experience possible. We’re excited to hear your thoughts and continue improving together!  

See you on the Community!  

@amanda.k 

Edited 12/12/24, 3:00PM PST to add:

Recordings of Office Hours

December 5, 2024 - Autodesk Community Team Product Team Office Hours recording

December 9, 2024 - Autodesk Community Team Product Team Office Hours recording

December 12, 2024 - Autodesk Community Team Product Team Office Hours recording

December 19, 2024 - Autodesk Community Team Product Team Office Hours recording

Blog Posts from the Product Team:

Week of 12/12/24 - Forum Redesign – New Releases & Office Hours Recap for this week.

Week of 12/6/24 - Forum Redesign – New Releases & Office Hours Recap for this week.

Week of 12/19/24 - Forum Redesign - New Releases & Office Hours Recap for this week

Week of  1/10/2025 - Community Redesign – Modernizing the Autodesk Forums

FAQ - living FAQ document. We are still gathering questions and will be updating it reguarly. 

[andrewdroth]

For the post listings please remove the trending tab or at least don't force it to be the default. It makes it difficult to engage in the forum 'real-time'

I would cram all the relevant info into each post heading as possible. Are we doing away with the badges? I kind of like them. Let's bring those back. Please add pages links (At least the 3 most current). Add the date and time of the last reply. I'd even like to see the avatar and Badge there as well. A view count is handy. perhaps a list of tags could be useful?

[andrewdroth]

I'm not sure how useful this indenting will be.

[andrewdroth]

You need to add the page buttons to the top.

[andrewiv]

I do like how when you go to the second or third page on a topic it will automatically scroll down to the replies instead of showing the original message.

[andrewiv]

And add back in the back to topic listing button.

[Tom_Kunsman]

The new design is nice, but I do not like that I can no longer see new posts! The default is "trending" or All. If I select "all" it shows me posts that are several years old. 

[rw_skinner]

Evidently, I was volunteered to be a test subject and put in group A.  Can someone un-volunteer me and put me back in group B?  Please?

Reason - All the reasons already mentioned. 

[pendean]

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@rhesusminus wrote:

...I change to the "All" tab, and sort by "last post" so that i can see what threads have undread message. These are difficult to see now...

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Just a suggestion, see if this gets you there quicker:

[ChrisRS]

 In response to post 2

I am in the "B" group, so I can't see what is happening.

Does this reply stagger further left of your (Post 2) reply?

Where does this appear in the list of replies to the original posts?

Is the new layout being used as a tree structure to show the relationship of the replies?

(I support a tree structure.)

[o.briggs]

@ChrisRS once threading is enabled, a reply will appear within the thread in which the user replied to, indented from the reply the used (up to a max of 4 indentations). This should help make it a lot easier to understand how replies related to one another in a long set of threads 🙂 
Threading has yet to be fully enabled. As it is a setting that would apply to all board, we have not wanted to change the old design in any way that may affect our data gathering for this test, however the new UX is designed for threading and it will be fully enabled once the new design is rolled out fully. 

[ChrisRS]

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@o.briggs wrote:

@ChrisRS once threading is enabled, a reply will appear within the thread in which the user replied to, indented from the reply the used (up to a max of 4 indentations). This should help make it a lot easier to understand how replies related to one another in a long set of threads 🙂 
Threading has yet to be fully enabled. As it is a setting that would apply to all board, we have not wanted to change the old design in any way that may affect our data gathering for this test, however the new UX is designed for threading and it will be fully enabled once the new design is rolled out fully. 

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This sounds great Oliver. 😊

Four levels sound like plenty.

I did not know that threading was going to be included.
I suspect that the Post number request may become moot.

Once threaded, post numbering (1, 2, 2.1, 2.1.1?) would be quite cumbersome. 

[o.briggs]

You are quite correct that post numbers would likely become more difficult to manage. This is precisely the reason they were originally removed from the new design however I have passed on the feedback about the numbers being missed, and we will be considering and responding to all feedback ☺️

[ChrisRS]

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@andrewdroth wrote:

I'm not sure how useful this indenting will be.

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Per @o.briggs, this indent is part of threading, which will be added later.

I am in favor of it!

"once threading is enabled, a reply will appear within the thread in which the user replied to, indented from the reply the used (up to a max of 4 indentations). This should help make it a lot easier to understand how replies related to one another in a long set of threads 

 
Threading has yet to be fully enabled. As it is a setting that would apply to all board, we have not wanted to change the old design in any way that may affect our data gathering for this test, however the new UX is designed for threading and it will be fully enabled once the new design is rolled out fully. "

Link:  O.Biggs reply #50 above

[andrewdroth]

Does that mean the newest reply won't necessarily reside at the bottom of the post? It would be grouped based on the original comment the reply was made to? Like Reddit comments?

[o.briggs]

@andrewdroth that is correct, however I will also add that this is a setting that can be overridden at the user level, so you can choose whether to leave threading enabled (as will be default) or you can choose to use linear format where all replies are organised chronologically ☺️
FYI We are aware of a bug that is causing indentation on posts (despite still being chronological) and this should be resolved shortly. 

[rhesusminus]

Unfortunately, that will only give me unread posts where there's no accepted solution. I like to follow the discussions in threads with one or more accepted solutions, but the debate goes on a little bit longer.

[pkolarik]

The new design is horrible. Just like last time a "new design" was tested, it's impossible to tell which posts are new/newly updated and which are old.

As someone who checks these forums almost every day, I"ve resorted to simply opening each forum I have subscribed to, marking all as read, and moving on without reading a single post since I cannot tell with an easy glance which are new and which are not. Every single post appears bold, when many of them clearly are not new.

[rmoore1]

Mine is back to the old design today, east to tell what's new, the back button gets you back. Like it's supposed top work. Leave it that way or I won't be back

[rw_skinner]

Not here!

[j.palmeL29YX]

I have seen the new design for two days only, then it switched back to the old design (I don't know why or what caused that. Am I A or B? 😉 ), so I only can comment what I remember in my old brain: 

- the new design shows on the top a "filter", which posts are visible and which not. The default is "Trendic" (or similar). To see all posts (I prefer) I must select "All". The next time I start the forum the default is set back to trendic and I must change it again  manually. If such a filter is necessary or useful, please let the user choice which it his default favorite filter. 

- In the old design I found a link "back to the topic listing" at the top and at the end of all posts. In the new design I missed the link at the bottom. The means to go back to the topc listing I must scroll to the begin of a thread. 

- I could not sort all posts in a thread in the order "Newest first". 

- I see no difference between post which I did read and which not (yet)

- what is "upvoting"?

- a general problem (not only in the new design): I often I see an improper use of the Accept as solution button. This is irritating for users who are looking for a solution and are then directed to completely unsuitable posts that.

my 2 ct

Sorry for possible repetitions, I didn't read all 58 post above