Better visual delineation between `Reply` and `Start a new conversation`
It's very confusing to new users that there is a difference between replying to an existing conversation and starting a new one within a channel. This is a visual thing as much as anything else. The 'reply' buttons are not naturally attractive if you just want to start typing a message. There should be a logical gap between the bottom of a conversation and 'start a new conversation'. 'Start a new conversation' needs to be separated visually, as if it's a second order command rather than a first order...reply.
Stephen Ellis
shared this idea
We have been iterating on different designs and are starting to test internally. I don’t have a timeframe but will keep you posted.
726 comments
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Mike Fourie
commented
ETA?
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Silvio Pellas
commented
This is a major usability issue, and the primary reason why we are using CHATS instead of Team Channels.
Please update
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Shannon Lewis
commented
An update would be fantastic!
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Daniel Kristensen
commented
This is inconsistent on Mobile vs Desktop, and it is confusing.
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Rafael
commented
PLEASE implement this ASAP. A majority of conversations are broken / fragmented because users instinctively want to use the "Start a new conversation" box to reply to an existing conversation
This has to be such a small development effort.
1. Add a prominent "+" button to the bottom right corner of the UI - that is what users can use to create a new Conversation.
2. Get rid of the "Start a new conversation box" at the bottom of the UI.
3. Leave the "Reply" button at the bottom of each existing conversation. (should also be able to "reply+quote" messages in the middle of an existing conversation - but that's a different feature request.Problem solved!
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Frank
commented
I think there needs to be more separation between the reply button and the thread or making it stand out more. I'm hoping the new design will resolve the confusion.
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J W
commented
Absolutely this!
The UI is awful. It's so confusing and not obvious, as a result everyone just creates new conversations so the whole chat window is full of separate messages. Really cluttered!
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Hans Dickel
commented
This is badly needed - users continually don't follow appropriate replying methods. I can't say I blame them as it is not obvious when one creates a new thread or one is replacing to an existing thread.
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ralph squillace
commented
the real design problem from my perspective is that reply can scroll underneath and therefore be hidden, and often IS hidden, which makes "new conversation" the default and incorrect behavior for those trained to reply.
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David
commented
Any updates on this since last year?
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Tim
commented
This really needs to get finished. I just noticed that under the section "New experience for launching instant channel meetings" at https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/what-s-new-in-microsoft-teams-june-2020/ba-p/1489142 show the new 'Meet' button. However, at the bottom is a brand new button "New conversation" and the bottom 'reply' line is gone. This would be FANTASTIC and is exactly what we need. Is this a leaked design by accident?
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Paulo Dante Neto
commented
A good user interface is essential to ensure colleagues will use Teams as recomended by the organization. We are experience a low adherence to it as a solution because of issues like this one. I understand we should invest in trainings, and we're doing so. But this one is a constant issue that makes working in channels really hard.
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Gareth Doherty
commented
This is a massive bug bear for me. I am constantly telling my colleagues to use reply and not start new threads. We have been using teams for a good few months now so I have to think its more of UI UX issue now.
A possible Idea is to remove the text input from the bottom of the channel screen and replace it with a button that clearly says 'Start new conversation\thread' and once clicked it then expands to the text input or it launches a modal to start the new conversation/thread.
Then increase the visual aspect of the 'Reply' button at the bottom of each conversation\thread.
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Dick
commented
This one massive defect takes teams from an 11/10 app that is a joy to use, to a 3/10 app that is painful to use EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I'm in disbelief that this is such a well known and documented problem, yet still exists today. I have no choice but to recommend teams to hold off on moving to MSTeams until this problem is resolved.
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Dyota
commented
I see people starting new threads instead of replying to posts all the time at work. I used to think that it was a matter of education but at this point I think it's a fault in the UI design. The channel "conversation" looks very very similar to a chat and I don't blame people for getting confused. Please change this and make it more obvious so that the app works naturally the way you want it to!
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Richard
commented
Like all the others, this has to be resolved. Teams is fantastic, but the unthreaded/orphaned conversations is such a pain. Perhaps just move the start a new conversation box to somewhere else, like the top of the screen??
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ITPro
commented
please put this above all other features... it makes using teams so cumbersome on a daily basis.
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Chris Smith commented
Please please please, we are still dealing with rampant non-threaded conversations due to a UI oversight, it just needs a little attention to be complete. I remembered you all doing samples and asking for terminology, but that was over a year ago. Where is this update? Thanks!
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Peter van Amstel
commented
Hi Alex, could you please provide an update? This is really stressing me out, each and every day at work as a teams evangelist.
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Captain C
commented
What? Still not fixed? After three years and a "working on it"? Maybe you should hire someone from the Slack team who knows how write a decent UI? Just a thought...