Unified Problem Statement

Miro’s interface is a powerful tool for creative collaboration, but its full-featured UI can feel overwhelming for certain users, particularly:

• Beginners learning the platform for the first time.
• Visitors and short-term collaborators unfamiliar with Miro’s advanced features.
• Occasional users engaging in focused, one-time sessions.

For these user groups, the complexity of Miro’s interface often becomes a barrier to effective collaboration. Teams have expressed a recurring need for a simplified experience that reduces friction without sacrificing Miro’s flexibility for advanced users.

Currently, there is no easy way to toggle between a streamlined, beginner-friendly interface and the full-featured environment that experienced users require.

Proposed Solution: Introducing “Simple Mode”

“Simple Mode” is an optional toggle that allows users to switch to a cleaner, more streamlined version of the Miro interface, while retaining the ability to easily return to the full-featured “Advanced Mode” when needed.

Core Features of “Simple Mode”:

1. Streamlined UI:
   1. A minimalist interface with only essential tools for basic tasks such as adding sticky notes, comments, text boxes, and shapes.
   2. Removal or hiding of advanced features (e.g., integrations, developer tools) that can overwhelm new users.
2. Optional Editing Limitations:
   1. ​​​​​​​Visitors and short-term collaborators can use a simplified editing experience to focus solely on their contributions.
   2. Board owners could optionally limit editing permissions in Simple Mode for specific collaborators.
3. Easy Toggle Between Modes:
   1. ​​​​​​​Users can seamlessly switch between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode to cater to their needs, enabling flexibility for all skill levels.

Key Benefits

• For Beginners & Visitors:
  • ​​​​​​​Reduced onboarding friction with a cleaner, less intimidating interface.
  • Faster adoption and increased confidence when interacting with Miro.
• For Teams & Collaborators:
  • ​​​​​​​A more focused, distraction-free experience during shared board sessions.
  • Easier collaboration with external stakeholders who may be new to Miro.
• For Advanced Users:
  • ​​​​​​​Full access to Miro’s robust feature set remains available in Advanced Mode.
  • Teams can engage all collaborators effectively, regardless of skill level.
• For Miro:
  • ​​​​​​​Improved user adoption and retention by meeting the needs of both beginners and advanced users.
  • Greater accessibility for diverse teams, including occasional users and stakeholders.

Supporting Evidence

The need for a simplified interface has been highlighted in multiple wishlist posts from the Miro community:

1. Levels of complexity in the UI
   1. ​​​​​​​Users request different “levels” of UI complexity to address varying skill levels.
2. Collaborate mode for shared boards
   1. ​​​​​​​Highlighted the need for a more streamlined collaboration mode for visitors and guests.
3. Simple Miro
   1. ​​​​​​​Emphasized the challenge of overwhelming UI for beginners and those using Miro for short-term projects.
4. Simpler interface for short-term users, beginners, and visitors
   1. ​​​​​​​Advocated for a cleaner, more intuitive interface for specific use cases.

By synthesizing these requests, “Simple Mode” directly addresses the pain points raised by Miro users, while preserving the platform’s power and flexibility for experienced collaborators.

Call to Action

If you believe that “Simple Mode” would make Miro more accessible and effective for teams, visitors, and new users, upvote this request to show the Miro Product Team how much this feature matters to the community.

Let’s create an experience that’s simple for everyone—without compromising what makes Miro great.