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.
441 comments
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Chris Davidson
commented
Put the bar above to start a new, or make it a button. There's no excuse to have it on the bottom where it is, that should be for comments only.
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Anonymous
commented
James Miller:
- Change the "Type a new message" text to "Start a new conversation"the text in teams section is
"Start a new conversation. Type @ to mention someone" and not "Type a new message", that is the text in chat section.
the problem about it is, that the UI is bugged in that aspect: the text only gets updated if the box is focused.
chat section automatically takes focus to the box while teams section doesn't. this is as expected (i'd say) but makes the UI bug take effect. -
James Miller
commented
Perhaps the solution would be further UI clarification.
Sometimes UI flow comes as much from what is shown as what is not shown...Example:
- Change the "Type a new message" text to "Start a new conversation"
- Display the Reply button on a mouse-over or selection of a previous message. -
Josh
commented
The Chat section of Teams does this well, but it's limited to 20 people. Trying to get a group in my organization to switch to a Team instead of a chat when we surpassed 20 members was a complete disaster because of this 'start a new conversation' awkwardness.
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Jeremie
commented
This really needs to happen. I don’t know how many of our not so tech savvy people have replied creating new conversations and it drives me crazy as we can’t follow up...
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Sean Ellis
commented
This is a very common request, and is caused by the chat UI not conforming to the standard conventions. In every other chat program, the text box at the bottom of the screen is the thing you use to continue the current conversation.
This actively works against the ingrained muscle memory of everyone except people who have only ever used Teams. Microsoft's response appears to be to make the "reply" buttons more prominent.
(See this thread on the placement of the "reply" button - https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/16925779-hide-the-reply-button-under-every-message)
It is a bit like creating a car with the brake and accelerator pedals exchanged. It does not matter how many brightly colored stickers you put on the dashboard saying "Accelerator over here!", it will still lead to accidents.
There is also no way to merge threads back into a conversation when mistakes inevitably occur.
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Anonymous
commented
I would like to suggest differentiate UI design on Conversation Reply and New Conversation input. Currently, in many cases, users have wrongly entry message in to New Conversation instead of Reply.
Regards,
Toom -
HopefulToad
commented
Please move the "new conversation" box to the top. I think that would pretty much solve the problem!
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Mac
commented
I hope this gets resolved soon. I can't count how many times I have had to copy and past 'my new conversation' to a reply box where it belonged and delete the new conversation.
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FKB
commented
I agree 100%! Even our network admin who is maybe 34 y/o, a social networking freak, and he is always pushing for the latest and greatest just did this exact thing. Could you just put "Start a New Conversation" at the very top of all the threads vs the bottom (or at least make it an option)?
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HooHoo
commented
This is the most important issue with Teams and drives users towards slack 9 times out of 10. EVERY single new user writes replies as new conversations, which makes things unbearable for other users.
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Sean Ellis
commented
Absolutely spot on.
The original thread discussing this is here - https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/16925779-hide-the-reply-button-under-every-message - and largely concentrated on ways to hide the "reply" button.
However (as you will see from my comments in that thread) I absolutely agree with you that the problem is the inversion of the usual pattern of chat UI.
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Geir Dybbugt
commented
One of the biggest issues we are facing when getting customer and people in general used to the interface in Microsoft Teams is the difference between "start a new conversation" and the Reply function, this makes a bit of a mess in the chat history for the various Channels, where users are starting a new conversation topic for every time they want to reply to a conversation.
Todays interface defaults to start a new conversation, located in the bottom of the GUI. Thereby its intuitive for the users to start writing in this field, resulting in multiple new conversations instead of a reply to the actual topic.
This is a learning by doing issue, but I believe it would be more intuitive to take away or move the "new conversation" field for the chat inside Teams/Channels.
A viable solution would be to remove the field, and make a function/button or similar in the top of the GUI chat history to start a new Thread/conversation.
This would make the reply function under each topic more apparent, and limit the amount of "lost threads" for group chat, aswell as making the chat history more correct.
This would aslo make the users look at the chat window more like the wall of Facebook or similar, something most users already have become familiar with.
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Adam
commented
This is one of the first things I noticed, the fact I never know if anyine has messaged me as it's not clear.
I hope this is updated before long as we are looking to role this across the company and I KNOW this will be a reason they will not want to use it
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Anonymous
commented
Get it done fast please
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Mike Todd
commented
Adding to this topic.
Problem: Users use the "Start a new conversation" field to reply to existing conversations, including their own just-entered conversations. This leads to broken messaging. People want to use this feature similar to apps they're familiar with (SMS text messaging, iMessage, Slack, AOL Instant Messenger) -- one long conversation string.Exacerbation: Teams mobile app users are presented with ONLY the particular message when they access a new message via Activity--they are not taken to the conversation tab for a channel, and have no context for the message.
Possible solution: Copy what Slack does. Rename the Conversations tab "Conversation" or "Chat"--singular. Rename the "Start a new conversation" field to "Message [Channel name]". Move the Reply button to the top, far right edge of the message, leading to nested conversations. Do not show all replies to messages by default--they should be collapsed since they're technically asides. This will clean up the Conversations tab and allow users familiar with other services and apps to instantly utilize Teams Conversations without a hitch.
Also, when users access a new message via Activity in Teams mobile, they should be led to the full Conversations tab, at that message's point in the history.
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Kevin Rupe commented
This is #1 issue that M$ needs to fix. Every single person who is new to Teams makes this mistake. It breaks up the conversation is nearly impossible to follow the thread later down the road when this is done. Please fix ASAP!
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Anonymous
commented
yes I agree - but I think this is a Graphic Design Issue... as the reply and start a new conversation buttons are so close together and the graphics are very light, or not distinct enough... a bit of a a graphic improvement, or more contrast and this issue would probably dissapear...
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Beth Dane
commented
This is a much needed change! The sooner the Teams Community has the change the happier we will be!
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Chris Olson
commented
Just to chime in, EVERY single new person I introduce to Teams trips on this issue. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Please fix!