Generating Text Preview in SharePoint News Carousel Guide

Blog Summary: The Feasibility of Text Preview in SharePoint News Carousel

Ellen van Aken brings up an intriguing question: "Is it possible to get a text preview from News in a Carousel?" This question piques the interest of those users who want more than just a title but don't wish to click on each item. Ellen embarked on a journey to find the answer and here's what she found.

Initially, Ellen shared her concern with the usability of Carousels in general, citing various challenges. For instance, people overlook Carousels, they don’t spend enough time on a page to view all Carousel items, the control buttons may pose a challenge for people with motoric skills problems, and screenreaders may find them hard to process. Evidently, Carousels, including Microsoft's SharePoint version, may suffer from usability and accessibility issues.

Investigating the SharePoint News Carousel specifically, she experimented with several feature tweaks. She examined options within the News web part, the News Post, and the Page Details section, exploring potential avenues for preview text to appear - from 'Text above title' to 'Alt text for the image'. The test involved potential options for display such as Description, Text above title, Alt text for the image, and a Call to Action.

Despite configuring these methods, none of these options appeared in SharePoint's Carousel view. No additional enhancements surfaced whether it be text or image elements, thereby putting a damper on her investigation. Thus, the current iteration of SharePoint's Carousel does not seem to accommodate preview text, whether by default or by hovering an element.

Ellen's parting words touched on a couple of potential solutions. For optimal usage, users might consider switching to a different layout for a better website usability experience. Options such as Top story, List, or Side-by-Side could be used, along with the Description text to provide decent article overviews. Additionally, SharePoint Online users may direct their feedback or suggestions for improvement via Microsoft's feedback portal.

A General Look at SharePoint Online's Carousel Feature

In SharePoint Online, the Carousel feature, like most carousel displays, presents content in a rotating format, allowing users to peruse through numerous elements interactively. This SharePoint feature, despite its visual appeal, is often criticised for its lack of accessibility and usability. There have been efforts to enhance these aspects, but the road to achieving optimal usability remains a work in progress. Challenges persist, from small, difficult-to-click control buttons, overlooked carousel elements, to issues with screen-readers. A proposed solution is introducing a preview text option to improve engagement, a feature currently absent in SharePoint's Carousel.

Read the full article Can you get a text preview in a SharePoint News Carousel?

Learn about Can you get a text preview in a SharePoint News Carousel?

In Microsoft's SharePoint Online, a query has arisen on whether it's feasible to incorporate a text preview in digital circular, called a carousel. The functionality would extend to users seeking more than just a headline, bypassing the need to click into an article. This idea inspires us to delve deeper.

Personally, I harbor reservations about carousels. Their large, attractive images can be enticing, but they have drawbacks. They're often overlooked, not user-friendly and have accessibility issues. For details, I recommend visiting ShouldIUseACarousel.com.

When this feature was included in Microsoft's online collaborative environment, one would anticipate they tackled known issues as they have a reputation for focusing on usability and accessibility. However, the design seemed to mirror others in the market, without a usability review in sight.

I wish to underscore the universal applicability of accessibility challenges with a Microsoft image. It showcases common scenarios when usual abilities are hampered, either permanently or temporarily. The moral of the story is simple- such issues can affect more people than you imagine.

Returning to our primary topic, is a news preview in a carousel feasible? To answer this, I observed the following:

• 'News Web Part'
• 'News Post'
• 'Page Details'

I initiated my research by tweaking the News module on my intranet site to a carousel. Regrettably, no option to include supplementary details emerged.

In the 'News Post' section, you can include a short 'Text above title' and an 'Alt Text' for images. However, neither proved fruitful in the carousel.

Lastly, in 'Page Details', even after amending the description into a succinct summary and adding a call-to-action link, the outcome was unfulfilled. None of the changes were visible in the carousel.

Thus, it's safe to conclude that, in the current scenario, it isn't possible to present a preview in the carousel.

However, I recommend using different web part layouts like 'Top Story', 'List' or 'Side-by-Side. Utilize the 'Description' text judiciously to provide a comprehensive summary of your article. This will enhance usability and accessibility of your post. Optionally, consider forwarding your suggestions for better preview options to the Microsoft Feedback Portal.

In conclusion, though digital carousels may seem visually appealing, they have various intrinsic shortcomings that lead to an untenable user-experience. Consequently, it's advisable to utilize more accessible and user-friendly models in the SharePoint digital environment.

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