Changes to Sidesheet Behavior

@kuovonne 

 > I want to make it clear that your previously-created Record Detail layouts will not change. 

This did not need clarification. 

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Yes it did. People in this thread and other threads said they were worried abut touching ones they already made. Someone from Airtable explicitly stating "your old detail pages will be fine" helps clear that confusion.

@Phil_Rose 

Thank you for your response. Do you know if Airtable is planning on doing an AMA for this release? Previously, major updates like this got one. It might be a good way to showcase how someone would design a page using the new system. A lot of users respond better to examples, and screenshots would be helpful in the support article for detail pages for that same reason.

We covered these changes briefly in the latest episode of the BuiltOnAir Podcast (Season 15, Episode 2). This is hopefully useful to your product team, and fellow users (I show how to "fix" the default section added for new detail pages, and explain why I feel its poor UX).

https://www.youtube.com/live/9isqqt6kJiI?feature=share&t=2756 (1:17 - 6:50 for an intro to the topic, 45:56 - end for a detailed rundown and a brief "how to use these" look)

Based on your response, it sounds like all linked record visualizations auto-adjust their height based on the content? If so, I'm less concerned as I was before at having control of the height for these elements (though I still want to control the height/row-span for field elements, and text elements should they make their return). I do strongly feel that even in full-screen, the container width is too narrow for elements like grid and list. If full-width sections make their return, this may solve that issue.

I'm happy to hear in-line adding records will be added to lists/grids. I'm looking forward to the implied PDF export capability, as it may solve simple use cases where Page Designer is infeasible/unideal.

With some additional controls for column width and row height and the return of some missing features (hierarchies for lists, free-text elements, and charts), I think the update will be in far better shape. As your team continues to work on detail pages, will we get a timeline of when these (or other) updates can be expected, before they drop?

I think half the problem here was we weren't warned in advance that such major changes were imminent. We would have planned our builds differently had we known this would drop in the middle of a sprint. Rough timelines for these things are critical for teams like mine to build efficiently and to stay well informed about Airtable's capabilities.

@Kamille_Parks11 Thank you for your level-headed analysis. I probably got a bit too emotional because this change hit right when I wanted to start building a major new interface. You are right, there are people who did need the clarification that existing record detail pages wouldn't change. 

> I think half the problem here was we weren't warned in advance that such major changes were imminent.

I think the problems are
- Airtable not understanding the full range of how people used record details and taking that into account when redesigning the project. When you are anticipating a redesign like this, you could put out a call for existing designs from users, sort of like the Interface Designer contest. Except you wouldn't need to give out big prizes. Just have people showcase their designs so you can see what people are doing. People are much more likely to share designs if (1) they believe that sharing will impact future product changes, (2) they can choose how much to share, like just screen shots versus having to share to the universe where everything gets shared and it is hard to clean up a system for publication.

- The abruptness of the change. People woke up to find the product different with no warning and inadequate documentation. We found out about the change from other users and we were all feeling around in the dark. I really like Kamille's idea of an AMA and more examples. I would like it even better if you released the features as an opt-in beta with the AMA partway through the beta.

- Airtable not explaining why it was necessary to take away features to people who used those features. If you explain up front why the changes are necessary, people are more willing to accept the changes. 

For contrast, I think that the move from API keys to Personal Access Tokens and OAuth and the move to expiring attachment urls were both handled much better. Airtable recognized that people use API keys and attachment urls in a lot of different ways. Airtable announced both changes well in advance and gave clear timelines for those changes. The reasons for those changes were much easier for users to understand.

I feel that Airtable does a good job announcing major new features, such as the introduction of Scripting Block, Custom Blocks SDK, Automations, Interfaces, etc. These have splashy announcements, lots of ways to learn about the new features, and most importantly users could adopt the new features on their own timelines.

Changes to the UI/UX are not rolled out with as much care and are often a surprise. Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised and embrace the changes (like being able to clear all notifications in bulk, sections, or new colors). But other times these UI/UX changes have a huge, immediate, negative impact on users' existing daily workflows. Here are a few past examples off the top of my head where Airtable changed the UI/UX to "make things easier" but actually caused so many problems for existing users that a redesign was necessary after the initial release:
- Creating new fields by clicking open space
- Views sidebar redesign
- Interface side navigation width
- Home screen redesign

I was enthusiastic to bring our project management system over to Airtable a few month ago, after lobbying for it for several months.  But with our roll-out around the corner and 2 major, unannounced UI changes since I started working on this interface, I am... concerned.

I'm inclined to move our interfaces to a third-party more than ever, and tempted to explore other data stores more seriously. 

It's very hard to invest in a platform that seems to shift on a whim. I'm sure plenty of thought went into this change and I'm excited for what it may be paving the way for. However, its starting to feel like the smart assumption is that we shouldn't rely of Airtable because there's zero communication about workflow-breaking changes.

I want to invest in Airtable, but I don't want to invest SO MUCH TIME redesigning pages everytime there's an Airtable update.

I had trouble putting my finger on what was the real part of these new sidesheets that didn't sit right with me. 

There's a very different 'building experience' to them that is nowhere else on interfaces. With Interfaces, you can drag and drop, shift things around, nudge them, etc. It can be a bit clunky, but it's creative and fun and 'hands-on', so to speak. You can build really powerful pages and tools with the flexibility the interface desigers allows.

But with these new sidesheets, it's more of a 'design by sidebar' building experience.

• 'Hide/unhide' from the sidebar.
• Drag fields from section to section from the sidebar.

I have to be honest, it feels counterintuitive. I want to click and drag between fields and sections, because that's what the interface designer is all about, and it's a jarring transition.

I don't know if it's intended and supposed to be this way, or if this is what you eventually hope to make interface page building like, but I hope not. It just feels like checking boxes.

@Phil_Rose @LarsJohnson 

What about the disastrous changes that Airtable has made to the home page? It has completely destroyed EVERYONE'S usability, and there is not a single customer on the entire planet who is happy about it.

I have never heard from so many of my clients that they are considering leaving Airtable for other products.

When Airtable engineers unilaterally roll out destructive changes to the product that we have been begging them & pleading them to never roll out, this says that Airtable shuns its customers and hates its customers.

Similarly, when Airtable engineers unilaterally roll out destructive changes to the product and then ignores our begging & pleading to fix the rollout, it shows a similar level of disrespect towards us.

Equally as bad, when we try to improve the product by pointing out inconsistencies or critical missing features, we are also ignored by the product engineers.

This has not just happened once or twice or three times or four times, but has happened dozens of times over the last 6 years.

It doesn’t feel like we are valued humans — especially all of us Airtable consultants who are supposed to be "partners" to Airtable -- if our voices are collectively ignored and collectively shutdown 24/7/365 by the engineers who make changes to the product.

Currently, we are in the middle of the 10th crisis of the year because Airtable engineers do not listen to their customers nor consultants. The new home screen rollout has been disastrous for everybody, and I’ve never seen this many people talking about leaving the product as they are now. This is just one example out of dozens.

What is the point of being a consultant or customer if the product team ignores us, shuns us, and disrespects us?

Here we are, once again; Airtable users are understandably upset and the lack of communication is deafening. I agree with many of the points made here, the pros, and the cons of these features. I understood back in 2019 when I started using the software that I needed to remain agile; that things change all the time. This new feature has reminded me that I really need to set aside time each week to do a quick sense check on how the software tools I use with my clients are updating/changing, and how I need to address those with my clients. 

With no notice from Airtable, I am surprised to hear about these new changes here and GRATEFUL to all of you working hard to explain the changes, since Airtable isn't. If a client sees these changes first, then I look unprepared and am left with egg on my face when I don't have the answers.

What concerns me most of all is that Airtable is singularly responsible for the income I make. As a freelancer, Airtable is where my skills are focused. When Airtable makes these changes, it is affecting my livelihood. Because of this, I wish they respected this community more. The lack of respect is the most difficult.

Agreed, trying this out right now and it totally sucks!

My previous contact details page:

Closest possible recreation with the new system. Just hideous:

Well our system has finally updated which led me to finding this thread. Like many of you, this absolutely destroys our workflow. Which is doubly disappointing, because we had been working closely 1:1 with staff, innovating and iterating on our workflow, and getting asked specifically what they could develop to help strengthen our workflow. Seems sort of strange that even the reps that were involved with our team didn't even know this change was going live.

Unfortunately for us, if the change is not reverted or the new version isn't iterated on to provide the original customizability, Airtable simply will no longer work as a solution for our team. 

Just wanted to add on that my workflow has also been destroyed by this. Airtable Interfaces are no longer usable for me with this change. Just awful.

I am writing to express my concerns and frustrations regarding the recent interface update introduced by Airtable. As a loyal customer and advocate of Airtable, I have invested a considerable amount of time and effort in understanding and implementing the platform within my company.

The flexibility and visual appeal of Airtable's interfaces were crucial factors that convinced my team and management to adopt this platform. We appreciated the freedom to design interfaces tailored to our specific needs and preferences, making it intuitive and efficient for our users.

However, the recent update has significantly impacted our ability to create aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interfaces. The forced transition to the new interface has limited our options, causing confusion and frustration among our team members. Unfortunately, this update has not only affected our workflow but also the overall user experience.

I strongly believe that providing customers with the ability to choose between interface versions would be a fair approach. Allowing us to revert to the previous interface or continue using the new one based on our preferences and needs would be highly appreciated.

Our team has invested significant time and resources in adapting to Airtable, and we want to continue using this platform to its fullest potential. We kindly request that Airtable considers reevaluating this decision and offers customers the option to choose their preferred interface.

I also encourage you to listen to the feedback from your user community and consider their needs and concerns when making such fundamental changes to the platform.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We sincerely hope that Airtable remains committed to empowering its customers by providing them with the flexibility they need to create seamless workflows and interfaces.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

To echo - this decision is a complete disaster on all accounts. Being an enterprise customer I can assure you we aren't best pleased.

@Phil_Rose 

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@Phil_Rose wrote:

Along with valuable conversations we continue to have with customers (including some in this thread), it is directly informing short-term changes we’ll make to allow more customisation and restore missing functionality to these layouts that you can expect to see very soon.

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Thank you very much for restoring the missing functionality!

I am seeing this change two weeks after your post, and three weeks after the initial change was rolled out.

I'm still not seeing the change.  Was it only rolled out on enterprise?  I lost the last project because of the "lack of stability of the platform", but still might be able to keep some others going.

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@kuovonne wrote:

@Phil_Rose 

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@Phil_Rose wrote:

Along with valuable conversations we continue to have with customers (including some in this thread), it is directly informing short-term changes we’ll make to allow more customisation and restore missing functionality to these layouts that you can expect to see very soon.

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Thank you very much for restoring the missing functionality!

I am seeing this change two weeks after your post, and three weeks after the initial change was rolled out.

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Thank you for pointing it out. I'm not sure I would have seen it otherwise.

Keeping the desktop flexible with elements-based interface building, while also offering the streamlined mobile approach makes me much more optimistic about how interfaces develop.

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@BillH wrote:

I'm still not seeing the change.  Was it only rolled out on enterprise?  I lost the last project because of the "lack of stability of the platform", but still might be able to keep some others going.

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It's slowly being rolled out to people. I think Airtable was traumatized from the reaction to the sidebar fiasco and decided to update things slowly and get feedback before changes are made more widespread.

Hi everyone — Micah here from the product team at Airtable. I wanted to follow-up with this group and share a few more details and updates on the new layout. First, I want to take another moment to acknowledge and thank you for your recent feedback on this release. We’re continuing to build and expand our product and as we continue to work on our roadmap, we want to make sure that you are aware of our changes. We heard your feedback loud and clear and here are some of the immediate steps we’re taking to address some of your concerns:

• We are working swiftly on a follow-up update to make the layout more customizable
  You’ll see some of these updates begin to land starting at the end of this month: 

• Field duplication and deletion will be available directly on the record detail canvas
• Rows and columns will be more customizable
• Gray tinting will be added to visually separate information
• Field helper text will be available on interfaces
• …and more to come down the road. 

• While we work on adding more functionality, we are providing a way to revert to the legacy format
  While we don't intend for this to be a permanent solution, we recognize that the old layout provided a level of functionality and customization that the new layout currently does not have. Our goal is to continue adding more flexible functionality to the new layout. We hope you'll continue to give us feedback so that we can deliver the best possible experience to you.

Once you create a new Record Detail layout, you can navigate to the “...” next to “Record Details” at the top of the page to convert the page to the legacy format. You will be prompted to confirm if you want to make the switch for this page. Note: once you switch a page to the legacy layout you will not be able to switch back to the new layout. 

We know there's a lot more to do here and we’re committed to adding more to this experience. Ultimately, we want to make building with these new layouts easier while still retaining the customization that you all need.

We’ll provide more updates as some of these enhancements land, but please continue to surface any feedback you may have — it’s extremely important to us. Thank you again for your understanding and patience.

Thank you guys for restoring the legacy option while the kinks are worked out of the new system.

@MicahRoberson Thank you and please implement the "legacy option" as standard operating procedure @ airtable, when introducing big changes like this. Please take this seriously. We are all so tired of these upsets. So unnecessary for everyone. Thank you.

@MicahRoberson You’re halfway there. We also need this same ability immediately to roll back the new home screen as well. Not only is the new home screen riddled with bugs, but it is absolutely impossible for anybody to find anything anymore. The new Home Screen has destroyed everyone’s productivity, and it is absolutely SHOCKING that Airtable would even roll it out after 6 months of complaints about it from users, after 6 months of complaints about it from consultants, and after 6 months of negative threads about it in these forums.

Thank you for the legacy option, but please god stop removing core functionality in the future. The value proposition of Airtable is its ease of use compared to a traditional database and separate front end. Please don't keep chipping away at that value prop - paying customers can only be stretched so far.