A Less Long, More Connected Medium

Summary

Medium is evolving to support both lengthy and short-form content, enhance the reading and writing experience, and better connect ideas and perspectives through the introduction of inline editing, a redesigned post layout, and tags.

Abstract

Medium, known for its long-form content, is expanding its platform to be more inclusive and interactive. The introduction of an inline editor allows for instant writing and publishing directly from the homepage, encouraging users to share ideas without the pressure of creating extensive articles. The redesigned post layout, known as 'The Stream,' provides a better reading experience by allowing users to get a sense of an article's content before clicking through, and even recommend it on the spot if it's concise. Additionally, Medium is implementing tags to improve the discoverability and connectivity of posts, facilitating a more dynamic exchange of ideas and perspectives across the platform. These updates aim to democratize storytelling and idea sharing, making Medium a place where anyone can contribute and find meaningful content.

Opinions

Medium values professionally reported, in-depth articles but does not want to limit its platform to only long-form or polished content.
The platform emphasizes that the quality of an idea is not dependent on the length or production value of the writing.
Medium acknowledges that some ideas need to be shared in a raw, unfinished state to evolve, which requires a less formal publishing process.
The introduction of the inline editor and redesigned post layout (The Stream) is intended to make both writing and reading more casual and accessible.
Tags are seen as a way to connect posts and facilitate discovery, making Medium a more interconnected and inspiring place for sharing perspectives.

A Less Long, More Connected Medium

I love a professionally reported 17-minute article about an important and surprising topic. Or a 10-minute technical mystery by a professional designer. And who doesn’t enjoy a 91-minute interview between a media entrepreneur and a journalist?

High-production value, lengthy stories are what Medium is best known for. And I’m glad we’ve provided a home to so many great ones. It was always our intention to create a platform that provides a superior creation and reading experience for meaty stuff (or non-meaty stuff, as the case may be).

It was not our intention, however, to create a platform just for “long-form” content or where people feel intimidated to publish if they’re not a professional writer or a famous person (something we’ve heard many times).

We know that length is not a measure of thoughtfulness. The quality of an idea is not determined by the polish of the writing. And production value does not determine worthiness of time investment on the web any more than it does at the movie theater.

We also know that sometimes you need to get a thought out in an incomplete form in order for it to grow — by bumping into other brains and breathing in fresh air.

That’s why, today, we’re making some pretty big changes to how Medium works and feels. There are three main parts:

Inline Editor

We wanted to make it easier to start writing whenever you have an idea — and also to make it feel like less of a big deal to do so. So we added a way to post right on the homepage of Medium. Start writing instantly. If you get inspired to turn it into something bigger, click over to the full-screen editor. Otherwise, keep it simple and publish it straight from there.

The Stream

To complement the inline editor and make reading a more seamless experience, we redesigned post listings. Now you can start reading a post and get a better sense of what it’s about without having to click through (and, if the post is short enough, even recommend it right there).

A Less Long, More Connected Medium

Inline Editor

The Stream

Tags