Simpler than full layer support: Surface and Item categories


While I would love having full Layer support with nesting and grouping and all of that jazz, a simple, whiteboard-based paradigm might be an 80/20 solution for how I’d use layers. Give us two layers for a board “Surface” (the bottom layer) and “Items” (the top layer).

 

Most of the time, what I’m doing is trying to separate things that would be the equivalent of the “surface” of the whiteboard (labels, shapes, areas, and images that I don’t expect to move), and things that are “items” on the whiteboard (sticky notes, cards, some images, that I DO expect to move around etc.). 

Working in one of the two layers would be like a Mode - CURRENTLY EDITING SURFACE or CURRENTLY EDITING ITEMS. Switching to edit one of those layers would lock the other layer, so if I am in the Items layer, I can’t do anything to the surface, it functions as a background image, and if I’m editing the surface, the items are all locked and I can’t do anything with them.

Combining this with my other request today, https://community.miro.com/wish-list-32/usage-rights-for-facilitators-vs-participants-440, facilitators could be given access to edit the surface where participants would only have access to the Items layer.

This is one approach for solving the facilitator’s dilemma of how to allow participants to collaborate fully on a board without damaging the workshop design that has been implemented on the board before the workshop. I would love to be able to set permissions so participants could edit one layer and not another! 


This would be a great feature indeed. Recently I gave a training session on how to use Miro in an educational context and a few users messed around with my board while I was presenting. Apparently I forgot to lock some of the elements. But the advantage was that I could demonstrate life that this can happen when you use Miro with students and that you should be careful with the design of your board, templates, work areas, … 

I use “Concepts” on my IPad pro to sketch. It has some great UI features Miro could benefit from. Reach out if you would like more tips or insights on this.


My understanding is that guest editors no longer have lock/unlock privileges.  That makes it possible to set up a board, lock it, then have guest editors add content without damaging the underlying board.  Thank you Miro!