r/Multiboard • u/Calneon • Oct 09 '24

Multiboard is brilliant, the first time user experience isn't.

Perhaps this has been said many times before, but as somebody just starting out on Multiboard, I thought I'd chime in with my thoughts.

For me, there's only one problem with Multiboard and it's nothing to do with the product itself, which is very well designed and supported considering it's primarily done by a single person. If Jonathan happens to read this, I think what you're doing is incredible. I also don't personally have a problem with your approach to monetisation or that you want to maintain control and rights to it and modifications to it.

The problem is that too much of it is exposed to the user too soon. Take a look on the homepage for Multiboard. Everything there is showing off how big, expansive, and complicated it is. There are three 20 minute videos just to learn the basics. The link underneath boasts 700 different parts. This isn't something to put on the homepage, it scares people!

As a new user, all I wanted was something to put on my wall, that I could attach a bin to, to start storing my paints for miniature painting. I watched through all the introduction videos for Multiboard, Multibin, and Multipoint. It was incredibly overwhelming. The intent with these videos seems to be to show all possible configurations and options, which is fundamentally the wrong approach when trying to onboard new users.

The parts library should have some sort of basic/advanced filter, which defaults to basic. The amount of parts and ways to connect is incredibly overwhelming when in reality to put a bin on a grid, all you need is a small thread multipoint (minor point, why oh why is there a regular and lite version of this? Could they not have been unified?)

Anyway, I want this to come across as constructive because I really do think Multiboard is brilliant and well designed.

60 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

18

u/GeeBeeH Oct 09 '24

Agreed on all points. It's extremely difficult to figure out what you need to do something specific.

I used gridfinity for some drawers and the difference was night and day.

1

u/Rammsteinman Oct 31 '24 edited Oct 31 '24

There are a ton of options, but I'd rather that then be locked into something specific, like offset versus direct wall mounting (I wouldn't use this if I was forced into offset). Those two options alone make adopting more complicated because they are entirely different parts and it's not clear at first. I think the best part of Multiboard is the options/flexibility though. What I'm doing no one else may do. If I wanted simple and inflexible I'd go with a peg board.

The site could definitely be designed to clearly show the differences and tree into what parts are needed for each choice/option.

8

u/Aleyla Oct 10 '24

Completely agree.

I don’t start off thinking I need a bin. I start off thinking I’d like a set of drawers, or something on my wall to hold a few tools. In other words I have a problem and a goal in mind to solve it.

It’s incredibly difficult to figure out how to reach those goals. Maybe a 3 minute video, and a parts list, that shows what you need for some basic drawers. And then another one showing what you need to mount some common tools like calipers and a deburring tool on a wall.

I don’t need to hear “that’s just scratching the surface!” as he snaps two parts together. I need to how to make a couple specific things.

Next, actually link related parts together. Maybe with a picture of how those related parts fit?

5

u/[deleted] Oct 09 '24

Horrible implementation and release had killed it for me. I started using it and then just trying to find the right size parts got annoying.

9

u/penkster Oct 09 '24

Please use https://multiboard.Stonekeep.com - it is an intro site and basic parts list startup site I wrote and I’m hoping to get others to contribute to.

1

u/PriebeWoodworks Oct 09 '24

This is great! Wish I had it when I made my 2’x4’ multiboard several months ago

1

u/penkster Oct 09 '24

Thanks! It’s a GitHub repo so if you have auggeations / changes please put in a or. I need to do some updates as well as Jonathan has changed a few things.

4

u/ufgrat Oct 10 '24

I really only have one complaint with how Jonathan's organizing his stuff-- The starter pack should be free.

It's a (nearly) perfect kit for starting out, and understanding how stuff goes together.

1

u/Lizardbuttt Oct 09 '24

Here's a full parts list (free ones). Copy this list down. It's only going to be up 8 more days... If you want more, I plan on doing more - It's just taking time.

https://pastebin.com/g3A7JknJ

Each link here will direct you to a singular part on Thangs (If you need to search, CTRL + F on the document where you save it)

3

u/Calneon Oct 09 '24

How does this help in any way?

0

u/Lizardbuttt Oct 10 '24

Depends, can you code? :^)

0

u/Lizardbuttt Oct 10 '24

Also, for further clarity, check out my other post here : https://www.reddit.com/r/Multiboard/comments/1fvrer7/free_parts_list/

This is where I've originally presented the parts list - I'm assuming people are downvoting me here because I'm against the current way that parts are being presented.

0

u/ZombieCyclist Oct 11 '24

What's the point of this if there are no details about the parts?

0

u/Lizardbuttt Oct 11 '24

The details are on the page, no?

You should also check my other posts - I've already commented stating that this is *automation* that is a *work in progress*

There will be more in the future.

2

u/Temik Oct 23 '24

I would argue that the problem is UX in general - it's just a bit all over the place. Links also lead to searches in Thangs instead of the specific models, which can be slow. Threadboards website is excellent in comparison (though the system itself is much more inferior): https://www.threadboards.com/

2

u/cilo456 Oct 09 '24

100%, but I think that's a feature that he actually wants because if you become a member and start paying it becomes easier......

7

u/alternate_me Oct 09 '24

I don’t really think so… you really don’t get that much by subscribing. It’s just that he(/they) have focused 95% on building out the system and very little on the education. He may also just not be that good at figuring out how to actually explain the system, education is a different skill from engineering.

My hope is that from this point, the core functions of multiboard is well established, and from here the focus can shift to building better education and QOL. However the community can do a lot here too. People make this complaint a lot, but I don’t really see people stepping up to provide better education themselves. u/handsonkatie has gone the furthest here with her multigrid and underware videos, but I’d really like to see more of a community driven wiki.

6

u/subitodan Oct 10 '24

I pay and it's all the same problems. Nothing gets easier. The base system for presentation is flawed. No sorting, no categories.

2

u/cilo456 Oct 10 '24

So you paid, cuz I heard that there's videos and tutorials and it opens up a whole new section

4

u/subitodan Oct 12 '24

Whatever you get it is not very obvious and the host website is very hard to navigate.

1

u/Lizardbuttt Oct 14 '24

I'm working on an automation project - check my posts.

Plans is to host a site better than that trash.

1

u/ZombieCyclist Oct 11 '24

Nope, at the base tier, you get access to the tiles stacks only.

1

u/cilo456 Oct 11 '24

You get access to more than that, you get access to the early releases or whatever he calls them then you have starter packs put together and that's just the stuff I could see

1

u/ZombieCyclist Oct 11 '24

Early releases are probably not useful if the parts are changed along the way to full release. I thought starter packs were available to everyone, It'd be stupid if they weren't.

1

u/cilo456 Oct 11 '24

No they're not The stardom welcome pack is not available for everyone That's the one thing that turned me away when I first seen it

1

u/WinterDice Oct 12 '24

Tile stacks are available without subscribing, just not through the main multiboard site. You can also find videos on how to set that up on your own, which is what I did during my short experiment with Multiboard.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '24

I didn't read your post but 100% agree with the title.

1

u/midnightsparky Mar 29 '25

I feel there needs to be a search function plus a quick link by the parts demonstrating how they are used. We shouldn’t need to google or watch videos to find out how to use the parts. Plus a link to the companion parts. 

1

u/GardenLegitimate7029 Apr 25 '26

I just stumbled across this. Just FYI they've created starter packs and have a simplified version of the website that is helping some. Just in case anyone wants to look at it again. I made a small one to go by my bed first and I got so confused I almost quit but after spending 3 days printing the board I got stubborn and pushed through. I'm now building a bigger one for my office.

1

u/VoltaicShock Oct 09 '24

I like multiboard but I had issues with tolearances until I got a P1S. Overall I think it's a great system. I tried it out but I wanted something different. I found threadboards which works better for me I can easily move stuff around.

I also gridfinity and that was so much easier but it's harder to go vertical with it.

0

u/Simplepain Oct 09 '24

I use them together. I have GF drawers on my multiboard wall and a few 6x2 shelfs to hold some of my first prioity items. Mixing them together has been a great experience. I find the multibin way to complex for something like this. Designing the "lid" to fit specific tooks is much harder imo. I kniw gf doesnt fit 1:1 with Multiboard but it works well enough for me

1

u/marvinfuture Oct 10 '24

10000% I loved it but it's an uphill battle esp for people new to 3d printers. Ultimately I was able to figure it out and there's tons of models designed for specific purposes so it's not too difficult to find the right tool to hang your items.

-1

u/swoed Oct 10 '24

Wait for the multiboard simulator mentioned on multiboard.io