Fix the New Email Editor to be User Friendly

[DuraSupreme]

There are so many issues with the new editor, I don't know where to start. This was clearly designed to be prettier not more functional. Being a UI & UX specialist it's very disappointing to see the functionality get dramatically worse, rather than improved. I though Constant Contact was better than that. 

The toolbar options hop around way too much. Depending on what type of content you are editing the information to edit it is in a different location. For example, the hyperlink tool. You click on an image it's at the top. You click on a button the hyperlink tool in the left toolbar. You click on text it's at the top but it's cluttered and hard to find quickly. When a creative is at work and adding links all at once or similar edits all at once the toolbar can be skipping around or it drastically slows down the workflow. 

Also, the toolbar is now located way at the top and takes a LONG mouse drag to access, if you're a speedy designer trying to optimize your time, 50 long click drags add up really quickly slowing down your workload. The toolbar should be closer to the panel the user is working in and CONSISTENT so the user can create a smooth workflow and optimize their time. Workflow should be one of the biggest priorities for improvement when updating a software like this, not the last. 

Overall, make the toolbars quicker to access (closer to the action taking place, make the toolbar items consistent with location and look so the user can expect where the tools and find them quickly, and get into a smooth workflow. 

[DuraSupreme]

Hello everyone,

To ensure that feedback regarding the current email builder (CPE) is a) productive, and b) providing pertinent troubleshooting info, our team is going to ask that if you are responding, you're providing some of the following:

1. Are the issues you're experiencing in the current builder occurring in multiple browsers, or just one in particular? Do the issues occur in incognito/private browsing mode?
   • This is important to know, as it could indicate caching/cookies-related issues that can be simply cleared, or something more specific to the browser's setup (extensions, ad/pop-up blockers, specific settings, etc.) This isn't us demanding you use a different compatible browser, it's to pinpoint if there's some aspect of the current browser you're working in that other users may also have, that we can pinpoint as causing the issue, and can work to address (e.g. a problematic setting or incompatible extension).
2. Is the issue you're encountering a result of getting used to the current builder (CPE), or are you working in a template that was converted from the previous, retired builder (3GE)? If you're working in a converted template, are your issues occurring in newly made templates?
   • The devs are working to ensure as much parity as possible with converted 3GE templates, however some functionalities that don't exist anymore will simply result in blank spacer blocks that would need to be removed. If you're encountering a significant number of issues with converted templates that isn't occurring in ones built natively in CPE, it may indicate there's junk coding in the converted template that may require being rebuilt in the current editor (our phone support can assist with this). 
3. Are you using a template that's several generations of copying previous copies deep, or are you copying / creating directly from a pre-built template or your saved reusable template?
   • Templates can maintain junk coding if they're continuously copied from previous copies over-and-over, which can affect the editing process and even impact how the email displays when sent out. Copying or creating directly from a reusable template you've made or pre-built template from the template selection screen avoids this issue entirely. 
4. If you feel the current builder is "more difficult" compared to the retired, 3GE builder, please provide thorough, explicit info on what aspects are difficult. Please provide screencaps and screen recordings that our devs can use for use cases and testing.

Please keep our Community Guidelines in mind while responding. If you'd prefer to provide the troubleshooting info privately, you're encouraged to email us at social_support(at)constantcontact(dot)com with your account username and the requested info. Thank you very much for your contributions, feedback, and cooperation so we can improve the email builder.

[William_A]

Hello @DuraSupreme ,

The toolbar became docked at the top due to issues caused by the floating toolbar, especially for a myriad of users with particularly long text blocks. The docked toolbar is the fix for this, and there are currently no plans to change this back.

Certain specialty blocks, such as buttons, have a significant amount of customizations or ones that aren't compatible in the docked toolbar that already contains a large number of formatting options. Such specialty blocks include, but aren't limited to, the event block, buttons, product block, and social share icons. Due to the larger and unique types of customization for some of these blocks, the lefthand menu is currently the best location for some of their formatting options. 

[DuraSupreme]

That's very disappointing. The order and placement of these tools slow down the workflow and does not make sense for it to flip-flop locations or switch the order in which it is in a toolbar. Do some batch user testing before you launch new formats like this. 

[Nick_S]

Hi @DuraSupreme,

I just want to apologize for the long delay before responding. And I also wanted you to know I sent your feedback directly to the Product Manager who oversees the the Cross-Device Editor and they greatly appreciated the points you made.

[user513211]

UPVOTE for more user testing before release!

[Bio-Mechanics_Cycles]

Agreed! It's so frustrating to use now. It bounces and moves around, it's difficult to click on things -- I've been using CC for around two decades and this editor has prompted me to start seriously looking at alternate platforms.

[Lauren_H]

Hi @Bio-Mechanics_Cycles Thank you for this feedback and we are sorry to hear that the email is bouncing or moving around while you are editing. Would love to learn more details about when this is happening for you so we can fix it for you.

- When is the email moving? Is there a certain action you are taking on a particular browser? Is it moving to a particular location every time? 

Thank you!

[GretchenM]

Agreed. If possible, this new interface is even worse than before. Like, you highlight a piece of text to bold it and the option to bold it just goes away. Or you cannot change a font. And everything jumps around on the page. It's exhausting and you end up compromising in the name of getting your darn newsletter out the door. 

[RUTHS193]

Building an email campaign is frustrating and exhausting. Changing email background does not work. Putting in dividers and customizing their length and width is almost impossible. Deleting elements is a mystery.

Until last week, uploading images did not conclude as done even though the images and documents actually did upload. Linking document and images button disappears and then appears, but erratically. The software is ruined and is quite impossible. Please fix the software. I am paying monthly to use an impossible program!!!

[Lauren_H]

Hi @RUTHS193, appreciate the time to provide feedback on your CTCT experience.

Can you clarify where you are attempting to change your background color that is not working? There are several ways to change the inner or outer background color for different parts of an email. This can be accomplished under the global Design tab, for a whole Section or for a Layout/Row.

When adding a divider block to an email, the thickness, width and padding can all be controlled from the toolbar which displays at the top of the editor. Please note if you are using a smaller screen size some of the editing options will be moved under the overflow (...) menu to access.

 

Depending on what element you are trying to delete, this can be done in a few ways:
1. A Block can be deleted from it's toolbar.

2. A Layout (AKA Row that can have multiple columns) can be deleted from it's corresponding quick tools.
3. A Section, which houses any number of blocks and layouts, can be deleted using the corresponding quick tools.

 

 

[MarkA60516]

I agree this is difficult to use.  It is hit or miss to be able to get the edit feature for blocks on the side. No matter how much I try to bring the edit tool up on the side of the block it will not come up.  Occasionally it does and then I feel like throwing a party.

Half the time I can't delete a block so I have to either use it for something else, or just leave it there, and try to get it as small and unnoticeable as possible. 

[Lauren_H]

Hi @MarkA60516 Thanks for the feedback! It's always helpful so we can continually work to improve your experience.

Can you provide a bit more direction on what or how you are trying to edit blocks? Some of our blocks have a toolbar, while some have both a toolbar and left-side flyout for more advanced settings. This is something we are aiming to make more consistent in the future but we would like to make sure you are not experiencing a bug or defect.

Depending on what element you are trying to delete, this can be done in a few ways:
1. A Block can be deleted from it's toolbar.

2. A Layout (AKA Row that can have multiple columns) can be deleted from it's corresponding quick tools.
3. A Section, which houses any number of blocks and layouts, can be deleted using the corresponding quick tools.

 

[MelanieB097]

I agree 100% with OP and doing batch testing first (I would be happy to contribute!). Every time I hop on to create a new email, the editor is different and I waste time trying to figure out "how to use it THIS time." Please listen to your users or you will find them switching platforms....my time with this new editor is going to be limited....

[Lauren_H]

Hi @MelanieB097 - Thank you for your valued feedback! We typically try to batch user testing while designing or before releasing new features to ensure quality. If you would like to participate in the future, that would be great! What is your preferred contact email address? You can send it to me in my private message inbox. When there are any available upcoming studies we can reach out.

Is there a recent change, update or particular piece of functionality we can help with? 

[MelanieB097]

My account email is the preferred email for me. Let me when you have upcoming studies and I will help when I can. Thank you. (I'm a former graphic designer and while I understand this will be a lot more rudimentary due to coding issues on the backside, I can provide feedback on UX based on other programs that I have used as suggestions. Thanks, Lauren.

[William_A]

Hello everyone,

To ensure that feedback regarding the current email builder (CPE) is a) productive, and b) providing pertinent troubleshooting info, our team is going to ask that if you are responding, you're providing some of the following:

1. Are the issues you're experiencing in the current builder occurring in multiple browsers, or just one in particular? Do the issues occur in incognito/private browsing mode?
   • This is important to know, as it could indicate caching/cookies-related issues that can be simply cleared, or something more specific to the browser's setup (extensions, ad/pop-up blockers, specific settings, etc.) This isn't us demanding you use a different compatible browser, it's to pinpoint if there's some aspect of the current browser you're working in that other users may also have, that we can pinpoint as causing the issue, and can work to address (e.g. a problematic setting or incompatible extension).
2. Is the issue you're encountering a result of getting used to the current builder (CPE), or are you working in a template that was converted from the previous, retired builder (3GE)? If you're working in a converted template, are your issues occurring in newly made templates?
   • The devs are working to ensure as much parity as possible with converted 3GE templates, however some functionalities that don't exist anymore will simply result in blank spacer blocks that would need to be removed. If you're encountering a significant number of issues with converted templates that isn't occurring in ones built natively in CPE, it may indicate there's junk coding in the converted template that may require being rebuilt in the current editor (our phone support can assist with this). 
3. Are you using a template that's several generations of copying previous copies deep, or are you copying / creating directly from a pre-built template or your saved reusable template?
   • Templates can maintain junk coding if they're continuously copied from previous copies over-and-over, which can affect the editing process and even impact how the email displays when sent out. Copying or creating directly from a reusable template you've made or pre-built template from the template selection screen avoids this issue entirely. 
4. If you feel the current builder is "more difficult" compared to the retired, 3GE builder, please provide thorough, explicit info on what aspects are difficult. Please provide screencaps and screen recordings that our devs can use for use cases and testing.

Please keep our Community Guidelines in mind while responding. If you'd prefer to provide the troubleshooting info privately, you're encouraged to email us at social_support(at)constantcontact(dot)com with your account username and the requested info. Thank you very much for your contributions, feedback, and cooperation so we can improve the email builder.

[MelanieB097]

I'll be as detailed as I can...

1) When you make changes to the editor, it would be helpful to receive an email that a) lists the changes and b) explains how to use them. I make one newsletter email monthly and it seems that most months, there is something new. Perhaps I am incorrect in my perception...?

2) It is frustrating/confusion to have things pop up in the upper left corner of the block, on the upper right outside corner, a toolbar at the top, but then some editing must occur on the left menu (i.e. buttons). A more efficient UX would have most of these options in ONE place.

       

3) I primarily use Duck Duck Go. I cannot edit anything with this browser, so I have to open a second browser, just to use CC. My experience is the same in Chrome and Firefox.

4) The tiny toolbar in the upper right outside corner doesn't always appear. For example, if I want to change the background color or delete a block, and I'm moving my cursor all around the around, and that toobar doesn't pop up, it's extremely frustrating. It's like there's a tiny "sweet spot" that the cursor must be in to "activate" the toolbar. If I click on the block, the toolbar will not appear at all. 

5) When I move blocks using the tiny left corner toolbar, sometimes my blocks disappear? Again, more time wasted trying to figure out how to get it back, undoing steps, etc.  Here are screenshots of the original block, and then after I moved it. Notice that the block is now just white. Where did the text and background color go?

6) Moving photos around within a text block is a disaster. If I have a photo embedded on the right and want to move to the left, sometimes it creates a new column, sometimes it enlarges the photo to the entire block and removes the text. 

On the positives, I love the new spacer feature (or is it even new?) I just realized I can grab the handle to increase the spacer size. If that was a new feature, again, an email would have been nice. 

I appreciate the ability to put in longer blocks of text, but I think having the edit toolbar would be better on the left (again, just have one place for alllll the editing options.)

Some additional requests for you dev team when they have time...

1) On the text, highlight and block fill color pallettes, I'd love to have an option to put my brand colors. When I change a lot of colors, my brand colors can "fall off" of the "recent colors." Then, when I need to color a block with a brand color, I have to go into advanced, find my hex color, and "re-add" the color.

2) Create an option to "hide" the left menu block 

Ultimately, it's just a few things that add up to frustration when time is short. Improvement in communication with new/changed features would go a long way with customers. 

[Lauren_H]

Hi @MelanieB097 - Apologies for posting twice, seeing this detail now, and thank you for clarifying.

1) This is great feedback. We'll share this with our marketing team and see if they can increase product announcements and newsletters that announce new features.

2) There are 3 distinct components that can be edited in an email: Blocks, Layouts and Sections. Editing each is slightly different and we're working to make this experience more consistent for each in the future. For Blocks, if it's a more advanced block with a large number or customization options, you'll see a left-side flyout in addition to the toolbar. Here is a help center article that walks through how to add and edit different components in an email: https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/email-digital-marketing/articles/KnowledgeBase/5852-add-ar.... 

4) It's not currently possible to control the background color for a Block but, this is something we're working on in the future! However, you can control the background color of different parts of your email in a few other ways by editing your Row, Section, or from the Design tab.

5) When moving rows or blocks around in your email, the background color will change based on the area you drop it. In this example, the font color is white and the background color where the block was moved is also white. To get the text to display, you can change the font color in the block or background color of the row. Hope this helps!

6) When moving photos around in a document, best practice to ensure proper inbox rendering would be to use a multi-column layout with text on one side and a photo on the other. We're also working on improving our drag and drop experience so it's more clear when you are placing content that would create a new column. More on that soon!

Some additional requests for you dev team when they have time...

1) Definitely check out the new Brandkit feature! This allows you to add in your brand styles and colors, which are then applied to reusable templates. You can learn more here: https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/email-digital-marketing/articles/KnowledgeBase/47342-Save-.... 

[MelanieB097]

Thanks for your reply. I understand what you are saying about blocks, but until you can independently edit them, there will be frustration. I also see the purpose of the top toolbar, but the smaller "section bars" are confusing and need to be moved to the top or the side. It just really needs to be a clean window where I see my email as I'm creating with all of the "functions/tools" on the top or side. Perhaps some of the team would be willing to do screen-mirroring tests with those having problems to "visualize" the problem vs. making them spend all this time on writing detailed posts. I don't mind because I want the platform to be better. Thanks 

[GretchenM]

 1. I use Chrome. Please do not make me use some other crappy browser. 

2. As IT professionals with access to our accounts, I would imagine you have that answer. I have no idea which version of what I am using. I just want to write my little newsletter once a week. 

3. Both. I inherited the Template. I copy the newsletter from the previous week and edit it to create the most current newsletter.  I am not an IT professional. Please do not make me build a new template. I just want to write my little PTA newsletter. 

4. More difficult: 

• At least 50% of the time, when I highlight text to bold or italicize it or delete it or whatever, the toolbar just does not show up. 
• At least 50% of the time, when I try to change the size of a font, it is impossible to do so. 
• Cutting and pasting is often impossible. 
• The page is constantly jumping around.
• The black text often appears grey and it is often hard to change it to black. Sometimes I give up. 
• I often get an error message that I have no live links in my newsletter. This is not true. They are there and they work. 
• It still sucks that you can't place two or more images next to each other, but a girl can dream. 
• Lately I have to trick the document into saving new text. I have to change more than one thing in order to save the change I want to save. 

If you could improve even one of these functions you would make our lives much easier and we would be very grateful. 

[William_A]

Hi @GretchenM ,

1. We're not asking you to use another browser. Confirming if the issue occurs in other browsers assists with isolating potential sources of the described issues, so they can be addressed on the backend, or noted as a potential source for common interference (e.g. a browser extension, problematic caching/cookies, etc.)
2. Was the template previously using the older system that had a giant orange Continue button in the top-right corner and less blocks available, or were you always working in the current editor?
3. Do the issues you're describing occur in newly made emails as well, or just in the one you regularly copy? If it's not occurring in newly made templates, it would indicate a potential issue with either over-copying, length, or some other aspect of the template you're currently working in, that can be more quickly addressed.
4. Need additional info on some of the following:
   • Please elaborate on the "jumping around" and "50% of the time" aspects. Is there specific behavior you're seeing as part of that jumping around, or is it only occurring when taking certain actions? Are you able to provide a screen recording of the behavior?
   • Does the coloring match what's in the docked toolbar, or what's in your campaign's Design tab in the lefthand menu?
   • You can place multiple images beside each other, whether physically dragging over or using one of the multi-column layouts. When you drag over blocks, are you seeing the pink line where you want to drop the image? Is the first image text-wrapped, and that's what you're wanting to have multiple images for?
   • Please elaborate on the saving issue - are you unable to manually select Save? Or is the issue that the auto-saved changes aren't reflecting in your previews / tests?

[GretchenM]

1. Chrome. 

2. I did not register the color of any buttons. I could not tell you what color they are now without looking. 

3. Both.

4. Jumping Around: I start to write some text and the page jumps so that my cursor does not land where I intended it to land. 

Text color: The black text looks grey unless I re-select black. 

Images: I do not want columns side by side. I just want to put two images next to each other in one column. 

Saving: I am often not able to manually select Save. The autosave often does not work. I go to "Preview" to see if my new text has saved and it has not. I try this several times and then I add a word or something and then I can save. So I'm compromising the wording of my newsletter in order to be able to save important information. 

I'm sorry, I cannot do the whole screenshot blah blah thingy. I don't have time. If you can't fix this, I'll just stay frustrated and annoyed. But please try. 

[user513211]

I'm also seeing tremendous lags now, even on incognito mode.  I type and then have to wait for my text to appear.  I UPVOTE all of the above comments and have experienced and continued to experience most of this frustrating behavior.

[William_A]

Hello @user513211 ,

Please see this comment, and provide troubleshooting information requested.

[Lauren_H]

Hi @DuraSupreme Thank you for your feedback! Prior to the toolbar being sticky at the top of the editor, it displayed next to the active block being edited. Unfortunately, this caused several issues with scrolling through an email with a block activated and continuing to be able to access the toolbar. Due to high demand, the toolbar was made sticky so it can always be accessed no matter where your content is being edited.

Our team is also working to make the editing experience more consistent across our different block types as we expand the customization options available that allow you to apply more design styles.