Contextual Help System MVP

[carolromero]

This is an MVP for the EPIC #3712

• When someone creates a user account, she receives a welcome notification. This notification is a customizable text from the admin with links to a general Help page. Welcome notification #4304
• Clicking the link goes to the full Help page, reusing this layout: https://www.decidim.barcelona/accountability/sections#planificacio
• There must be a backend interface with predefined content that admins can override. In this interface there will be a section to define the contextual help of each participation space.
• These sections must be shown as annoucements in the header of each space.

Tasks

• Design for admin interface where the following contents are configured:
  • Welcome message
  • Page: "What can I do in instancename?
• Add announcements to the general index/home of each space

[furilo]

Regarding the admin part of things, should we create a new section "Help" under settings? In this page, we would have different blocks: "Welcome notification", "Help: XXX space" - etc

Regarding the redesign of (current) banner and discarding it, I'm thinking about it but not getting to any conclusion. I understand that this element was a quick solution and we may feel that we need to improve it but - does it have any problem? ;)

About discarding it, I think it would be good to allow for it, but I can't come up with any simple solution to provide access to it once you have closed. I don't like what I think of (ie. creating a help button near the top, or a closed tab fixed to the bottom...) because I feel will be too hidden. And since I don't think the current banner does not imply any design/UX problem, and experience (people using it) tells us that it is working, should we just don't touch it?

Do we want this announcements for spaces as something different from the current banners? (probably the idea is yes - but I refer again to the consistency issue: would it be recommendable to have two different but mostly similar systems?)

What maybe can be thought of is to provide more flexibility to where banners can be shown?

Sorry to open the debate again!

[carolromero]

Regarding the admin part of things, should we create a new section "Help" under settings? In this page, we would have different blocks: "Welcome notification", "Help: XXX space" - etc

Hi @furilo, I've updated the issue as agreed yesterday during the meeting, Let's start by designing the admin interface so @decidim/lot-core can move forward.

[furilo]

Questions:

• we are just evolving the current banner system, right? adding the ability to close it as shown in designs (Process header and menu design explorations #4230); every current banner will work the same way
• do we want to change de admin (maybe centralizing in one same page all the banners, so it is easy to change them)?
• what are the new pages/sections that will have banners?

[carolromero]

we are just evolving the current banner system, right? adding the ability to close it as shown in designs (#4230); every current banner will work the same way

yes, you convinced me the other day that is better in terms of usability if we keep the same design across the platform ;-)

do we want to change de admin (maybe centralizing in one same page all the banners, so it is easy to change them)?

ok, what we have in mind is managing the contextual help at 2 different levels:

• at a general level, this is the Full Help Page reusing this layout: https://www.decidim.barcelona/accountability/sections#planificacio which must include a section for each participation space and some other contents, like the main actions you can perform as a participant. This content will be pre-loaded by default and will be editable.
  This Full Help Page should be centralized (maybe a new section in the admin called Help). The sections that explain each participation space will be displayed also as banners at the top of the page of each space.
• at a specific level (a single Process, Assembly, etc.) using the current announcements system. This stays as it is right now, since you will want to have different texts/instructions for each space.

what are the new pages/sections that will have banners?

• all participation spaces general index pages (Processes, Assemblies, Initiatives, Consultations, Conferences)

cc/ @decidim/product

[oriolgual]

@carolromero about the sections in the full help page, we'll have one for participatory space and one more to other content? Should the admins be able to create more sections?

[oriolgual]

There must be a backend interface with predefined content that admins can override. In this interface there will be a section to define the contextual help of each participation space.

At #4136 it seems that it only applies to processes, is this also for assemblies or just processes?

[carolromero]

@carolromero about the sections in the full help page, we'll have one for participatory space and one more to other content? Should the admins be able to create more sections?

Hi @oriolgual, ok I'm picturing something like this (this is only a quick mockup):

Therefore, I'd say that by default you will have a set of preloaded sections, and depending of the participation spaces you are using, you can publish/unpublish them.

So, admins should be able to create, edit, publish, unpublish more sections. Note in the example I've posted that we want also to display the intro text of each participation space as banner/announcement in the general index.

[carolromero]

At #4136 it seems that it only applies to processes, is this also for assemblies or just processes?

Ok, let's recap to be on the same page.

We won't finally use the Process Intro proposal with the three content blocks since we are rethinking the whole "header/phases/menu/announcements" combo in this issue #4230.

#4136 was an exploration that has been finally discarded, so to avoid confusion, I will close and remove this issue from the Contextual Help System EPIC.

cc/ @decidim/lot-px @decidim/lot-core @decidim/product

[furilo]

This is a proposal for the admin screen to manage the new help system to offer banner-like announcements in main sections (as noted by @carolromero, announcements for specific spaces remain where they are now).

• We would have a pane for each section; each section can be active or not
• Each section has the intro text (for the announcement), and the extended version (for the help page)
• Place in menu could be Settings > Help system (new page)

Comments?

[carolromero]

Hi @furilo,
Just to double-check, in the help page we will show the intro text + the extended text, correct?

[furilo]

Just to double-check, in the help page we will show the intro text + the extended text, correct?

Yes, I'd start with that.

[furilo]

Btw, designing #4304 I just realized that we could have subsections in this new menu option:

Help system
-- Anouncements (this)
-- Welcome message

[carolromero]

Btw, designing #4304 I just realized that we could have subsections in this new menu option:
Help system
-- Anouncements (this)
-- Welcome message

[furilo]

OK, here is another round, taking into account a variable number of sections (which I missed earlier - sorry!)

• Index page: lists all sections, some of them will be prepopulated.
• Edit page: you can edit a given section.

[carolromero]

@josepjaume regarding your proposal of improving static pages #4338 , take into account that we need also the design that @furilo has been working on.

[furilo]

@decidim/lot-core do you need markup for this?

[josepjaume]

I consider this closed since #4470, but without predefined content, as it hasn't been provided to us (except for the welcome notification).

Contextual help content applies to the whole of a participatory space and the same text is visible on the individual participatory space, as well as the index page.