Exploring User-Friendly Mobile Experiences: The Evolution of Forum Software Interfaces

[Cedric]

I hope everyone’s doing well and thriving in their respective fields. Today, I would like to bring to light an observation I’ve made regarding forum software such as InvisionCommunity, SimpleMachinesForum, PhpBB, XenForo, vBulletin, etc. It seems to me that many of these platforms, while robust and feature-rich, fall short in delivering optimal user experiences on mobile devices.

It is clear that most of these platforms are inherently designed for desktop use, but with the dramatic increase in mobile users worldwide, it’s crucial to revisit and rethink the current mobile designs and functionalities. I have noticed that the aesthetics and handling of these softwares on mobile devices are not as refined and intuitive as their desktop counterparts, potentially hindering user interaction and engagement.

Mobile-Unfriendly Design and Handling

• Many users, including myself, find that the layout, interface, and navigation are not as seamless and user-friendly on mobile devices. There are times I browse on the AJ using mobile but will wait to do serious posting and other matters when I'm on my laptop.
• The interaction elements seem to be cramped, leading to inadvertent clicks and an overall frustrating browsing experience. Not to mention, causing a higher bounce rate.
• The mobile responsiveness often leaves a lot to be desired, with elements not aligning correctly, leading to distorted views and misalignments.

Discussion Points:

1. User Experience: How much do you believe the mobile experience affects user interaction and engagement on forums? Could a poor mobile experience deter potential members?
2. Optimization Strategies: How can developers and forum owners address these issues to optimize the mobile user experience effectively? Are there any quick wins to improve mobile responsiveness?
3. Alternative Solutions: Have you encountered any forum softwares that offer superior mobile experiences? If so, could you share your experiences and the aspects you found most user-friendly?
4. Desktop vs. Mobile: Do you feel there’s a significant trade-off between desktop functionality and mobile user-friendliness? How can we strike a balance to ensure both platforms deliver equally exceptional experiences?

I truly believe that addressing these mobile design and handling concerns can significantly enhance user satisfaction and engagement across our forums. Eager to hear your thoughts!

 

[Spartan]

I think forums that use tapatalk or whatever the software is called, where you can download a mobile app to use with forums on their software is a great experience. However xenforo is great by default on mobile. MyBB is good if the theme was made with it in mind. I think a good mobile layout is needed these days as a lot of people check in from time to time on mobile and if it’s hard to make a post they may be deterred.
I think the biggest trade off between mobile and desktop is really just finding the features, something that may be visible on the front page on desktop you may have to go through a few menus on mobile ime.

 

[Cedric]

I think forums that use tapatalk or whatever the software is called, where you can download a mobile app to use with forums on their software is a great experience. However xenforo is great by default on mobile. MyBB is good if the theme was made with it in mind. I think a good mobile layout is needed these days as a lot of people check in from time to time on mobile and if it’s hard to make a post they may be deterred.
I think the biggest trade off between mobile and desktop is really just finding the features, something that may be visible on the front page on desktop you may have to go through a few menus on mobile ime.

Agreed. Functionality is lost when going to mobile. Will it however ever be possible to have a smooth transition between both as well as the same functionality between both? We always yap about the lack of features using mobile, but perhaps we are expecting too much? They are initially designed to use on a desktop, and not even PWAs could replace that.

 

[joelr]

You must be reading my mind, I was just thinking about this topic earlier!

Forum software is always going to be challenged between providing a desktop and mobile experience, because developers need to cover everything. There are some legacy communities that are overwhelmingly desktop.

The question is if forum developers will be brave enough to build for mobile first, and not just responsive.

Other thoughts:
- Admins may not be able to control or redesign a whole new theme, but we should control what we can. Simple, flat menus. Editor with easy options.
- Less is more. (And this is very hard for someone who loves building content databases!). Do you actually need all of those features? Most communities and forums can get by, fundamentally, with an editor box.

 

[Tracy]

Will it however ever be possible to have a smooth transition between both as well as the same functionality between both?

No, because of the very nature of the display port. The smaller the display port, the more items that have to be "hidden" behind other menus, which then adds to the level of complexity of getting to where you want to go, which can be very frustrating to those used to desktop/computer interaction.

You can write the entire Hebrew bible on something less than half the size of the grain of sugar... but the question becomes, can you easily interact with it? 🤔

For mobile use, it will always be lacking in "ease of use functionality" when compared to a desktop, until you start getting into the larger tablet sizes.

The question is if forum developers will be brave enough to build for mobile first, and not just responsive.

The question is... are they willing to build an app that they can offer on IOS/Android that then has the ability to have bookmarks of sites (instead of branding for each one) somewhat like TT does. The big issue you then run into... how exactly are they going to support those third party add-ons easily? On many sites, those 3rd party add-ons are core to the "life" of the community.