Common pitfalls of first-time Miroverse Creators

@Henrik Ståhl @Johanna Torstensson @Said Saddouk @Steven Sampson-Jones @Emily Webber @Maria Piera Mattioli @DWestgarth Would be curious to know what you think! 😎

My two cents on this topic is showcasing an "example" with some sample stickies already populated, just out of view of the 'starting grid' of your fresh template. I usually include some "hot tips 🔥" or "facilitation notes 💡" to help participants and for those who copy my boards. I would say keep it simple, but I like to be as creative as possible and make it as bespoke as possible whether that's remixing tried and tested formats, or experimenting with new concepts to experiment on the community with!

Love the facilitation notes idea @Steven Sampson-Jones! Super helpful for those who doesn’t have a facilitator background/training. 

Great initiative @Anna Savina & @Helena Brandist! So… did you actually review all of the 1000+ templates in Miroverse?! 😮 

My recommendations: 

• Just like @Steven Sampson-Jones writes, showcasing an example with pre-populated content is super-valuable. I really appreciate it when using other people’s templates, and yet I’ve managed to forget about adding examples myself when submitting to Miroverse on more than one occasion. 🙈 
• Set a start view! I keep forgetting this and it drives me insane every time I see the result of my error. 😅 
• Give the zoom level/zoom size (I like the term “zoom size” but I think the official Miro term is “zoom level,” if I’m not mistaken) proper thought before submitting your template. Personally I’m still not sure I agree with the “always start at 100%” dogma, but I have become much more aware of the zoom size and the impact it has when creating templates. 
• Whenever you’re unsure about something while working on your template, browse the Miroverse for inspiration! Either look at similar templates (or templates within the same realm as your own) or look at templates created by people whose visual structure you find appealing.

Hope that’s helpful. 😊

I think you have most covered… but a couple of other tips

• Setting the start view is my top one (already mentioned)
• Group shapes to keep your layout intact, rather then lock them
• Make it easy for people to navigate by numbering sections
• Once you are happy with your board, create a fresh new board to copy on to. Then submit that fresh board to the Miroverse - otherwise your activity history will be copied over (including any comments you have from reviewers)

@Emily Webber Oh wow, I didn't even know about the last one – and never thought about numbering sections. Great advice! 👌

Some thoughts @Anna Savina:

Choose title for the template, that people can find in with the search (keywords).

Add some "how to use" instructions in a frame on the board itself.

Lock/Unlock stuff that should be locked/unlocked.

If possible reduce the load of the board by compressing or converting the used images on the board.
 

Rgrds Said

Love all of the suggestions above but just to add my spin:

• Signposting with instructions for use/ facilitator prompts is very helpful (Think like speaker notes on a powerpoint presentation)
• Lock down background/ window dressing elements for live sessions
• Frames and frame connections are very useful in large and dispersed boards
• Break up your text areas with images, gifs, videos and other visual elements
• Give participants some space to experiment, play around and learn as they go
• Remixes and spin offs are a great way to start building out your own templates!

@Henrik Ståhl haha, yes, we reviewed and edited all 1000+ templates :) 

@Henrik Ståhl @Emily Webber love the start view recommendation — it’s another issue that I see pretty often.

@DWestgarth love that you mention frames and frame connections — super powerful for building a cohesive narrative! 👏🏻

@Anna Savina Wow, that's impressive! Keep up the good work! 👏

Thank you for your tips @DWestgarth @Steven Sampson-Jones @Henrik Ståhl @Emily Webber @Said Saddouk 

I’m sure this will be useful for first time Miroverse creators  Even after seeing more than 1000 templates we’re still amazed by your creativity every time!