Brief

Editing in Gutenberg can be complicated for non technical users partly because of how challenging it can be navigating/selecting the block tree (going down and up the tree), and how granular editing is. We are enhancing the zoomed out view which helps to alleviate some complexity when composing pages by emphasizing sections and not their inner blocks, but editing still remains a challenge. A prime example is the act of editing a site's navigation.

Visual

Tasks to stabilize Write mode

To ensure a smoother roll out of Write mode, the following tasks need to be addressed:

• Audit blocks for contentOnly mode support #65778
• Improve Write/Design mode switch discoverability #66480
• Navigation Block: develop a content-only representation #65699
• Query Loop Block: develop a content-only representation #66614
• Remove design-oriented controls from Cover block toolbar while in Write mode #66823
• Edit content mode (select mode): Ellipsis menu button in list view is empty #65504
• Image block should not have the "Add text over image" control when in Write mode #66875
• Template part selecting and editing unavailable in “Write” mode #66463
• Post content block should not be selectable in write mode with template rendered #67129
• Write mode: swapping Query Loop patterns sometimes then reveals Group block controls #67763
• Nesting issues in write mode #71202
• Determine names for "Write" and "Design" modes #71340
• Block appender: render on empty page in Write mode #71624

Future tasks to evolve Write mode

• Edit Mode: Prevent editable text selection on first click #65702
• ContentOnly Write Mode: enable as a capability / role assignment #65503
• Add new mode to contentOnly locking to allow insertion of new inner blocks #52018
• Should block outlines be available in Write mode? Perhaps not, as the post editor does not (and it's a "writing mode")

Completed work

• Use the previous "select mode" dark toolbar style for Write mode #66054
• Remove parent block selector while in Write mode #66684
• Select Mode: Use the content-only behavior in select mode #65204
• Select Mode: Updates to the block toolbar #65485
• Inserter: Always show the list of all patterns in the inserter #65611
• Testing: Add an e2e test to check the interactions in write mode #65819
• List View: automatically update after switching between Write and Design modes #66802
• Write mode: some group blocks/patterns can't be edited after switching into Write mode #66803
• Consider implementing the possibility to "focus" a section to fine tune its content. (not planned)