Ease first topic creation by replacing 'esc' in composer by text providing more guidance

In Discourse, the initial view of a topic when entering text in the composer includes a list of resembling topics:

In the top-right corner it says ‘esc X’. For non-technical users, the meaning of ‘esc’ can be confusing. When clicked, it always shows the preview. First-time non-technical users typically do not use the preview mode therefore we have found in a few tests.

Suggestion is to:

  • Make ‘esc’ translateable (now taken from CSS).
  • Replace initial text by something like ‘See Preview’.

In our deployment we have adapted the CSS to read: “Click to see preview”. It is not translateable (we use a lot of Dutch), but nonetheless provides more guidance.

2 Likes

In principle, something bothers me a little: You click to close something which is on top of the preview.
I don’t like too much the idea of associating the “X” in the right corner with anything else than CLOSING. Here, you’re suggesting to associate it with a result: Seeing the preview. In practice, it’s what is indeed going to happen and it seems to have the advantage to be of being clear in what will happen, but still.

At least “Close” instead of “click”, then.

1 Like

“Close to preview” might be OK. The whole UX of a message overlying a preview pane is not standard or intuitive.

Agree. Adapted suggestion:

Suggestion is to:

  • Make ‘esc’ translateable (now taken from CSS).
  • Replace initial text by something like ‘Close to see Preview’.
1 Like