More Welcoming, More Helpful: How We’re Evolving Storytell for New and Returning Users

Louise Maniego

May 9, 2025

During this week’s engineering demo, our engineering team walked us through changes designed to help new users find their footing faster, allow us to support users in real time when something goes wrong, and make interacting with Storytell more intuitive for everyone. The updates we’ll cover here include:

A proactive alert system for asset upload issues
A more focused and less overwhelming dashboard for new and returning users
User-friendly adjustments to Storytell’s auto-improve prompt feature

All three features are designed to save time, reduce friction, and ensure help is available at just the right moment.

Responding faster to user needs: Proactive alerts for asset upload issues

We believe that getting you help right when you need it is critical, especially when you’re uploading important content to Storytell. To make this possible, Alex, our DevOps Engineer, demoed a brand new alert system that improves our responsiveness to the next level.

What’s changed?

Previously, our internal metrics dashboards showed us how many jobs, such as file uploads, failed but not which specific users or organizations were affected. Now, whenever a file upload or similar job fails, our system automatically logs the affected organization ID and maps it to the relevant user. This triggers an instant notification in our internal Slack channels, alerting our technical and customer experience teams.

Immediate notification: If an asset upload fails for your organization, our team is alerted right away.
Clear point of contact: Alerts provide direct information about which user or organization is affected, along with the best way to follow up for support.

What this means for users

You get faster, more personal support if something doesn’t go as planned. If there’s ever a hiccup with an upload, expect us to reach out proactively—sometimes before you even have a chance to ask for help. While we can’t solve every issue instantly, this system gives us immediate visibility and enables a quick response, especially for accounts needing extra attention. We’re always working to extend this capability, and as important new organizations or users join Storytell, our internal process ensures they’re added to the alert list right away.

Smoothing out the first steps: A more welcoming new user experience

One of the most important ways we validate Storytell’s direction is by closely watching how new users navigate the platform. Our team noticed that introducing newcomers to the full breadth of features right away, including Collections and the sidebar, could sometimes cause unnecessary confusion.

What’s changed?

When you create a new account on Storytell, your dashboard is now intentionally pared down. Here’s what you can expect on your first and second visits:

A simplified dashboard: If you don’t have any recent chats or personal/shared Collections yet, the sidebar and collection-specific features are hidden. Instead, you’ll see just the core actions: upload something or start chatting.
Cleaner interface: Add mentions, slash commands, and Collection creation aren’t visible to brand-new users, reducing clutter.
Quick start documentation: Direct links to onboarding resources are surfaced to make getting started even easier.
Smart prompt suggestions: Recommended prompts are still available, helping you try out Storytell’s capabilities right away.

The benefits for users

This change means new users aren’t dropped straight into the deep end. Instead, you’ll see a clutter-free workspace—just what you need to get started, nothing more. Once you start using more features (for example, after starting a second chat or accepting an invitation to a shared Collection), Storytell will gradually unlock the power-user tools, including the sidebar, Collections management, and advanced sharing features.

For returning users who’ve started chats but haven’t yet used collections, the experience remains clean and approachable. Returning to your dashboard, you’ll be able to access recent chats and begin new conversations without being prompted to create or organize Collections unless you’re ready.

By focusing on onboarding with fewer distractions, we’re making sure everyone can begin working with Storytell confidently without being overwhelmed by options they don’t need on day one.

Smart improvements for smarter results: Refinements to the auto-improve prompt

We know that good prompts unlock great results. That’s why we’ve made enhancements to how the auto-improve prompt feature works and looks.

What’s changed?

Dedicated section for improved prompts: The auto-improve suggestion now appears as its own section, no longer pushing the send button down or disrupting your workflow.
Streamlined sending: A new send button lets you submit the improved prompt in a single click. If you want to edit before sending, you still have that option too.

Consistent visibility controls: If you prefer, you can toggle off the auto-improve feature at any time. When it’s on, the improved prompt stands out clearly, making it simple to see Storytell’s suggested rewrite and send it instantly.

The benefits for users

This update reduces unnecessary clicks and makes the auto-improved suggestion easier to notice and use. Whether you’re fine-tuning a tricky question or just want a more polished way to ask, you spend less time fiddling and more time getting answers.

If you’re experimenting with writing prompts or just want a little extra help making your question clear, Storytell’s new prompt experience is designed to assist you without ever getting in your way.

Sneak peek to a faster Storytell

Our current response rendering has some hiccups—page freezes, sluggish performance, and no way to interact with text as it streams. We’re working on a new approach inspired by ChatGPT, designed to make responses smoother, interactive, and more performant. Instead of refreshing the whole page, it updates just what’s needed, unlocking real-time interaction and cleaner animations. This is a first look, with plans to integrate it into V2 and V3.

If you haven’t tried Storytell, these changes make it an even better time to sign up and see what all the talk is about. And if you’re a regular user, you can explore these updates and let us know how it goes.