Context sensitive help triggers

[chillu]

Overview

The CMS is largely regarded as "self explanatory", but there's certain user actions and features which do require explanation. For example, how users and groups inherit permissions. Currently we just point users at userhelp.silverstripe.org, but that's requiring them to jump out of their current cnotext and actively look for the right content. We need something that works better in context.

Acceptance Criteria

• As a user I can navigate to the correct userhelp section from each particular CMS section (pages, assets)
• As a user, I don't have to leave my current CMS context to get a starting point for a complex feature (e.g. permissions)
• As a writer for userhelp, I don't have a lot of duplicated information stored in the CMS codebase
• I can use the same mechanisms in third party modules

Notes

• The approach should be consistent throughout the CMS (trigger placement, iconography)
• Should not clutter up the design too much (e.g. multiple paragraphs of intro above a GridField)
• Needs to work "per section" and "per feature" (e.g. next to the permissions checkboxes)
• I would imagine a 1-2 sentence intro for most features/sections
• Please create a list of non-obvious features which could benefit from this

[clarkepaul]

FYI added to design backlog as a general pattern

[newleeland]

Potential design:
https://invis.io/VWDRIK55Q#/249886648_Artboard

Basic overview

• Intro banner to show on detection of new user to section, briefly outlining the section and pointing them to userhelp via button if more advance info is required.
• Help button is positioned on far right in content and opens same content as intro screen

[chillu]

Nice! What's the driver for showing subsequent clicks on the help button as an overlay, as opposed to simply showing the banner again? It adds UI variations and complexity. Although I do think that we need that overlay approach elsewhere: Can you please add a design that shows how you'd show context sensitive help on the "permissions" screen?

[chillu]

I also find the content layout a bit weird: The list of three links ("Editing files", "moving files", "deleting files") seems a bit out of context. It could be unclear to the user if clicking those links let you perform these actions in the UI, or get you to the help screen. Overall, I think they're superfluous. Every section will have create-edit-delete style actions, and I think it's sufficient to just point to "learn more about X" for this rather than creating deep links. If you want to balance text with the large image, I'd rather use that real estate to add a second sentence to the section introduction. Or make the image smaller ;)

Content suggestion:

• Campaigns: Campaigns let you publish content (pages, files, etc.) from one place. You can collaborate on changes with other authors, and publish them in one go. Content can be added to campaigns from other CMS sections.
• Files: This is where you manage your assets, from images to documents. They can be organised in folders, and you can check where they're used around your website. Uploaded assets are stored securely until you publish them.

[newleeland]

The same content is reused for 2 functions

1. Help Dropdowns are designed to be out of the way, mobile ready, basic help. Providing quick links to the most popular articles people are searching for in User help. It alleviates the time need for people to go into user help and searching.
   

2. Introductions (splash screen) to ensure the new users to a section don't miss very help content, this is why it uses a lot of space, taking the full width and pinned to the top until dismissed. They are not very common, and should only display on the first encounter for new or complex sections of the CMS, such as campaigns, Advance workflow, new Files. They are an extension of Help dropdowns.
   

At the moment the content is just placeholders, what you've outlined above for Campaigns and Files sounds great. The links are just quicklinks to the 3 most popular articles on Userhelp for that section. Alternatively, the developer could add links themselves

[chillu]

Providing quick links to the most popular articles people are searching for in User help. It alleviates the time need for people to go into user help and searching.

Maybe it's just the two examples aren't very applicable, but I don't see users searching for "editing files" vs "deleting files" as separate topics. They just want to know what the section is about. I think there might be sections where that's more applicable (e.g. the security section could have deep links on "permission management", "how groups work", etc). I just want to ensure that the design works without these links in place. So my take is that they're superfluous for the two example sections (assets and campaigns). But since it's just standard content, we might introduce them elsewhere. No design change needed, just the new content from my previous comment.