Discord's New UI Concepts and Experimental Features

Introduction

• Discord introduced 4 new UI concepts and 3 experimental features.
• Insights provided through Discord's future look survey.
• Concepts are speculative, may take years to be implemented.

Concept 1: Baseline

• Appearance similar to current Discord.
• New Activity Tab: Displays friends' gaming activities.
• Minor visual tweaks: Increased contrast for reactions and Discord invites.
• Rating: 5/10 (Baseline, looks identical to current version).

Concept 2: Discord Mobile on Desktop

• Design similar to Discord mobile app.
• Features rounded corners and large buttons.
• Activity Tab: Bigger banners, collapsible menus.
• Slight changes to Discord group invites.
• Rating: 8/10 (Sleek design, resembles mobile app).

Concept 3: Transparency

• Transparent UI elements.
• Concern: Potential performance issues for older computers.
• Transparency may reduce readability.
• Likely option to disable transparency if implemented.
• Rating: 6/10 (Feels like a client modification, not very practical).

Concept 4: Radical Redesign

• Major redesign, different from current Discord.
• Banner Integration: Server banners span entire background.
• New Features: Calendar, Channel List, Member List.
• Activity Tab: Large banners for activities, collapsible.
• Chat Menu: Pops out from the middle, messages appear on the right.
  • Reactions spread across the message.
• Invite Links: Banner-like appearance, visually appealing but lacks community size data.
• Rating: 10/10 (Innovative, major changes).

Experimental Features

Global Discovery

• New UI for Discovery Tab.
• Improved appearance with gradients and rounded corners.
• Apps Page: Functions as app directory.
• Quests Page: Shows active Discord quests.
• Discord Shop Tab: Popular picks for avatar decorations and profile effects.
• Rating: Positive (Visually appealing, enhanced discovery functionality).

Message Bookmarks

• Allows bookmarking messages for personal reference.
• Accessible through a new Bookmarks tab in inbox.
• Functions as a personalized to-do list.
• Integration: Uses the same system as internal Discord staff features like Message Reminders.
• Potential Use Cases: Personal organization, reminders.
• Rating: Neutral to Positive (Depends on user's organizational needs).

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

• A new tab on mobile app showing server announcements.
• Highly customizable: Adjust which servers and channels are included.
• Customize scoring for channel visibility in the tab.
• Concerns: Adds another button to mobile interface, possibly cluttered UI.
• Customization Option: Users can disable the tab if not needed.
• Rating: Neutral to Positive (High customization, useful for active servers).

Conclusion

• Discord is experimenting with multiple UI and feature enhancements.
• Concepts range from slight modifications to radical redesigns.
• Experimental features focus on enhanced user interaction and organization.