New help menu not visible when CMS menu is collapsed

[purplespider]

It's one thing hiding the CMS User Help link under a labeless SilverStripe icon, but removing this icon completely when the CMS Menu is collapsed (the default when editing a page) is just making it even harder for users to find:

Also, it's a bit odd that the SilverStripe logo appears at the top in collapsed mode (but no longer in expanded mode), as we now have that logo doing two different things: Collapsed Mode: Takes you to the website. Expanded Mode: Displays the help menu.

Can I suggest that it still appears at the bottom of the collapsed CMS Menu, perhaps replacing the icon at the top with a "Home" or "Link" icon (and ideally making it easy to customise, e.g. to the favicon), mockup:

Or, even better, put the SilverStripe logo back up top in both modes, and make the CMS Help menu more obvious with a '?' icon (like the old Help item), mockup:

[robbieaverill]

cc @clarkepaul @sachajudd

[clarkepaul]

Thanks for the feedback, a few of these things were done for good reasons. Our end goal would be to have more in-context help throughout the CMS, and possibly tours etc. unfortunately the help menu in its older placement hasn't done its job very well so its time for a change. By no means is it perfect and we have had discussion around some of the concerns you have.

A few things we were trying to resolve:

• The SilverStripe and logo and the website name are too close to the point where they look like they are the same logo.
• The help menu was never recognised in its older location, nearly every editor we tested with didn't look at the end of the menu as they are only concerned with the top few items. It needs to move to a place where its more of a UI element rather than a CMS menu item.
• The CMS menu often has a lot of items to the point where the last few items in the menu are not seen. With limited height for the menu we also didn't want to reduce the space it had (caused by double stacking at bottom).
• The version number of the CMS was invisible to users.
• Give people more visibility to the wider eco-system, admins need to be aware of the support channels, where to find modules etc.

Combining the SilverStripe logo and help into a single item made sense as it contains everything SilverStripe related. We can't count on the SilverStripe logo being visible as many people place a company logo at the top left of the CMS. We'll take on the the feedback but for now we want to at least get it tested as it is which is happening in January. Happy to discuss again after that.

A few things we will be doing additional testing on:

• Whether people find the extra links useful, what would be better
• Whether they can locate the help docs (shouldn't be any harder than previously)

Cheers

[clarkepaul]

Related, Subsites module menu updates silverstripe/silverstripe-subsites#380

[clarkepaul]

I've got a mind to close off this issue, I'm keen to hear suggestions but unfortunately I don't think any of the proposed ways to resolve the issue are going to work for various reason as discussed already. I do like changing out the top S logo when the menu is collapsed with a home icon as that makes sense if it was to take you to full preview with a collapsed menu down the side (not current functionality).

We might be able to condense those actions at the bottom into the same space instead?

My stance on it is that we can't expect to show exactly the same actions and interface in a smaller area as you'd expect to get in a larger area. I don't want take away any functionality, but to have an extra action to get to the help doesn't feel like the worst experience. The menu by default is set to be expanded, so only if you choose to collapse it, or navigate deep in the CMS you might loose direct access to it.

[purplespider]

The menu by default is set to be expanded, so only if you choose to collapse it, or navigate deep in the CMS you might loose direct access to it.

I wouldn't necessarily say this is true. Yes the menu is expanded when you first login to the top level of the Pages tab, but when clicking on any page to enter edit mode the menu default is collapsed, and it is when editing a page that I'd say the user is most likely to require help.

Plus, users who are the most likely to require help with basic page editing features are less likely to understand how to uncollapse a menu and even less likely to try to do so to look for a Help button, let alone go looking under a nondescript "SilverStripe" icon.

But maybe UI testing has already been carried out on real users, asking new and existing SilverStripe users to find the "Help Guide" option when editing a page in the CMS, and the results of this say otherwise?

[clarkepaul]

UI testing had been carried out prior to these changes which directed the move of the logo and help (help didn't have even one person recognise where it was). I'm not dismissing that there are things which sub optimal with the current situation, its just that the provided solutions so far have their own issues so I'm comfortable with the trade offs.

The following are things which I do think are good ideas (some based on your suggestions):

• Have in section help (example in campaigns with ? icon) to be rolled out to all main sections with good content and links.
• When the menu is collapsed, remove the S logo from the top and replace it with a globe icon (represents site), but have it link to the in-cms full preview.
• Have another go at leaving the help visible at the bottom when menu is collapsed, as long as it doesn't take anymore room away from the space needed for the CMS menu, actions are big enough for touch, it doesn't get too crowded at the bottom, making it a bad experience (cluttered).

I appreciate the ideas and they help to shape potential solutions.

My research with actual users was testing out the older experience (the help link in the menu was not good at all). People said they didn't know there was user help there, they had never used it, they would ask a colleague or their developer if it was important enough. On the bright side people said they felt like they didn't need much help as the CMS is usual structured to their needs even though there is plenty of quirks in the UI.

There is the side issue of user help being good for the basics but it doesn't reflect the changes a developer might introduce into the CMS UI, probably the things which could do with guides.

[clarkepaul]

Haven't got time right now to add notes but this might help with a bit of decision making. Most of these are too cluttered for my liking.

[clarkepaul]

As you can see most of these are way too cluttered with actions for the area (and we don't want to take space away from the main menu either). If we had a place to pull out the CMS menu fixing options then it wouldn't be so bad but at the same time you would need a lot more UI interface to replace the circle we currently have. At the moment I'm not suggesting any of the above changes except the world icon at the top of the menu.