Write Mode
shipped
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Support Team
Merged in a post:
Toggle Button for Edit Mode
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Maureen Leisdon
Ever since you removed editing mode, it's taken much, much longer to edit my clips. I work in a highly technical field with ESL speakers. As a result, the transcription ALWAYS needs a lot of work before I begin editing. (If it's not correct, my edits will be in the wrong place.)
Ever since you removed the persistent "editing mode," it's taken 3x as long to edit my videos & podcasts. Please add a toggle button to turn it on and off again!
Canny AI
Merged in a post:
Where did "Write" go!?
Jeremy Andrew Davis
After the most recent update there is now no option for "write" and the keyboard shortcut doesn't work. I don't want AI to write it. I want to write it but it seems that feature is now GONE!?
EDIT from Descript: Upon further discussion, the main reason for this feature request is Accessibility and clarity of available features in a blank composition state. There should be a visible Write button, and it should be communicated through the UI that clicking or hitting Enter will launch write mode.
Canny AI
Merged in a post:
Accessibility to "write" tool has been removed
Jeremy Andrew Davis
Posting again since an admin "closed" my past post before understanding the issue.
When creating a new composition, the "write mode" button is no longer there. Once there is a transcript or if there is already text in the body, the "write mode" button appears, but if it is a new, blank document, the "write mode" button is not there.
Additionally, in the body of a blank document there used to be an option to click and just start typing. That also is no longer there.
This means the only method to use the write feature on a blank document is the command + E keyboard shortcut.
Having this be the only means to access that feature makes it inaccessible - both in terms of general user interface and in terms of people with various disabilities being able to access the feature.
The current workaround is duplicating a previous project and then navigating to write mode from there, deleting the old script and starting fresh.
This needs fixed. And accessibility needs to start being taken seriously by Descript, especially considering captioning services is itself an accessibility service. It is obvious there is not accessibility team making sure all new changes are accessible before they are implemented. Lack of accessibility is illegal.
Gabe Michalski
Jeremy Andrew Davis - we changed the shortcut to Cmd + E - and the Write mode button is still in the upper right corner.
Jeremy Andrew Davis
Gabe Michalski: No, it isn't. When I create a new composition, the "write mode" button is NOT in the corner, nor is there an option to click in the body of the page, like there used to be. This then forces the user to remember the keyboard shortcut. The lack of the button and the lack of the ability to click and type is an accessibility issue for disabilities.
I am having to do the workaround of duplicating a previous project and then navigating to write mode from there, deleting the old script and starting fresh.
This needs fixed.
Gabe Michalski
Jeremy Andrew Davis: My sincere apologies for missing this nuance.
I sent this feedback directly to the product team.
From my testing just now, the write mode button appears if you click the blank space in the Project (similar to how selecting a blank line automatically starts Write mode.)
Does this help in the meantime? Apologies again for the frustration this has caused.
Jeremy Andrew Davis
Gabe Michalski: I have just done the most recent update (MAC) and when I click in the general space of the document, nothing happens. I try to type and nothing happens. I can press enter "to continue with an empty composition" which enters write mode but it was not clear that entering write mode is what hitting enter would do or what an "empty composition" was. I can also click the area that says "press enter to continue with an empty composition" and it puts it in write mode, but again, that's not clear.
If I may say, I am a disability consultant and these kinds of accessibility issues have been a constant issue with Descript, especially with the pervasive changes to the user interface and layout (which is itself an issue for disability accessibility). It does not appear that there is an accessibility team overseeing rollouts or changes, nor the overall UI. accessibility is required under the ADA and I really hope to see it prioritized in the very near future - especially since a captioning app is itself meant for accessibility.
Gabe Michalski
Jeremy Andrew Davis - I went back as far as v73 to verify - and according to my engineers the "Mode" buttons have been hidden on a blank composition for some time now.
Pressing enter on a blank composition or clicking the blank space enables Write mode, and this behavior has been consistent for many versions.
Do you still feel that this is insufficient? I can re-open this feature request and edit it so that the request is specifically: "Show Write mode button on a blank composition." Let me know!
Jeremy Andrew Davis
Gabe Michalski: "Pressing enter on a blank composition or clicking the blank space enables Write mode, and this behavior has been consistent for many versions." As I explained in my previous comment, this action is not happening for me. It used to happen for me on all previous versions until the most recent 2 updates. I'm not sure how to explain this so that it is clear that this isn't happening for me.
Additionally, the text which used to say something like "click to start writing" has now been replaced by "Ask AI to Write." I now understand the workarounds I need to do to get the app to work, but if you are asking if the app is accessible, especially for new users, with its current layout, the answer is no. A "write" button would be a helpful step for making it more accessible.
Gabe Michalski
Jeremy Andrew Davis: Definitely appreciate and agree with your feedback. I am re-opening this request with some edits.
For practical purposes: I'm referring to clicking the "greyed out" text or pressing enter in a new Composition.
If this doesn't appear to be working, the best option is to file a support case so we can collect the necessary details for a bug report: https://help.descript.com/hc/en-us/articles/10337720480653-Contact-Descript
Not to give you more steps to complete, but I haven't been able to reproduce any bugs related to this and our technical support team will likely have questions on that.
In regards to this Request: I mentioned the accessibility concerns to the product team, and have edited this post to reflect those concerns.
Pranav Vishnu
shipped
Andrew Mason
ready in storyboard
Pranav Vishnu
exploring
Pranav Vishnu
under consideration