https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=173038
Bug ID: 173038
Summary: [UX/UI] Lack of a guided onboarding pathway for
newcomers and highly fragmented documentation
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 27.2.0.0 alpha0+ master
Hardware: All
OS: All
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: enhancement
Priority: medium
Component: Documentation
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Description:
Website/documentation/user experience
Enhancement/Major UX issue
Description:
The current structure of the LibreOffice web properties creates a highly
confusing and overwhelming experience for newcomers trying to either contribute
to the project or find definitive help. There are two primary issues:
1. No Clear Pathway for Newcomers
When a new user visits the site looking to get involved or find basic
information, they are presented with a massive wall of links and isolated team
pages. There is no central “funnel” or step-by-step onboarding wizard to guide
users based on their skills or intent. The user journey requires clicking
through multiple, dense wiki pages just to figure out where to start.
Here is a professional, constructive bug report you can copy and paste.
2. Decentralized and Fragmented Documentation
There is no single source of truth for documentation. A user looking for help
is currently forced to navigate between:
- uThe Main Help portal (help.libreoffice.org)
- The Books/Guides portal (books.libreoffice.org)
- The Developer/Community Wiki (wiki.documentfoundation.org)
- Various FAQs and mailing lists.
This fragmentation means users often find duplicated, outdated, or conflicting
information depending on which subdomain they happen to land on.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Navigate to the LibreOffice homepage and click "Get Help" or "Community".
2. Attempt to find a definitive answer to a technical question or look for a
quick way to submit a bug/contribution.
3. Observe the sheer volume of outbound links to different subdomains (Wiki,
Books, Ask.LibreOffice, Redmine, Bugzilla, etc.).
Actual Results:
Users experience information overload and "analysis paralysis," leading to
frustration and abandoned attempts to contribute or find help.
Expected Results:
For Newcomers: A centralized "Start Here" wizard or interactive UI card system
that asks the user what they want to achieve (e.g., "I want to report a bug,"
"I want to write code," "I want to translate") and routes them directly to the
appropriate action.
For Documentation: A single, searchable, unified documentation hub that
consolidates the Wiki, Books, and Help subdomains into one cohesive knowledge
base.
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: No
Additional Info:
Suggested Fix:
1. Implement a guided UX flow on the "Get Involved" page.
2. Begin a long-term project to merge help., books., and wiki. subdomains into
a single, unified documentation portal with a universal search bar.
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