FLEXspace Update: What's in Store for AY '23-'24?
Stephens: Our number one most requested feature! Threaded discussions will now be attached at the record level. Having a conversation forum on the back end of the full collection was nice for general discussions but it didn't really gain a lot of traction. With 3.0, when you're viewing a space record, you'll be able to post a question or comment right there, in context, and the space owner will be notified of the post. All of this will be visible within the community. Imagine seeing a new tool or technology implementation and being able to chat with the space owner — or anyone else with similar knowledge. It's a really nice way to connect about emerging features and share ideas.
Imagine seeing a new tool or technology implementation and being able to chat with the space owner.
Grush: And the third area — revamped Idea Boards to boost collaboration?
Frazee: Another request we've heard loudly from users is to improve the Idea Boards — to make them more useful as a tool for curating and sharing the latest projects, interests, and hot topics. Idea Boards have always been private in the past, meaning that FLEXspace members could create private Idea Boards and share them with chosen collaborators, but they couldn't share them with the whole FLEXspace community. Only administrators could publish thematic galleries of spaces — hyflex rooms, maker labs, medical simulation spaces, eSports facilities, inclusive spaces, and so on. But with 3.0, members and partners will have the option to use Idea Boards to create and publish their own curated collections within the portal in order to share their ideas and innovations publicly with all other members. With 3.0 you'll have a way to follow your peers or those you consider to be thought leaders who are working on similar projects — it provides a window into what others are thinking and doing. And this is a great opportunity for our advisory team to be even more involved in sharing Idea Boards for spaces they seek feedback on or find particularly effective or inspiring.
Stephens: Another great thing about Idea Boards is that with 3.0, there is the ability to write notes on the Idea Board, improving the way that teams can use Idea Boards as part of the FLIPP (FLEXspace Integrated Planning Pathway) process. Users will be able to include external links on Idea Boards, enabling them to attach outside resources and even continue the conversation by linking to a shared cloud-based document the team may be using during their FLIPP planning process.
Grush: And the fourth area — global search?
Frazee: This is a big change in 3.0. Previously, if you were interested in hyflex or connected classrooms, for example, you'd have to go under the Spaces section and search on ‘hyflex,' then repeat the search under the Toolkit section. But with a more user-centric design in 3.0 you simply enter the search term ‘hyflex' (for example), and the results will display all relevant content on a single page. So you can explore hyflex spaces, or resources such as articles and white papers, or even Idea Boards with curated collections of hyflex spaces. You'll still be able to filter by content type or use a new advanced search feature to refine your results even further.
Grush: And that last category you highlighted — streamlined record creation?
Frazee: We're realizing an early vision we had when designing the current portal, making the task of uploading content much more elegant and streamlined. With 3.0 when you create a space record, you are guided through a few easy steps to upload images, tag features, and add descriptions and stories. The new interface indicates what information is required and then encourages users to include additional details to make the record more robust and useful for members. It even provides tips to improve the quality of photos being uploaded.