SharePoints Flexible Sections: The Key to a Seamless Responsive Design?

Key insights

• Flexible Sections in SharePoint are a new feature that enhances page responsiveness and customization, allowing content creators to design without a strict column structure.


• The main advantages of using Flexible Sections include enhanced responsiveness, design flexibility, and simplified content management, making it easier to organize and update page elements efficiently.


• To implement a Flexible Section in SharePoint: enter edit mode on your desired page, add a new section by selecting the Flexible section type, and use the toolbox to add and arrange web parts as needed.


• This approach marks a shift from traditional SharePoint design by offering dynamic resizing options for web parts, layering and overlapping capabilities, and grouping functionality for complex layouts.


• The enhancements provided by Flexible Sections contribute to a more responsive user experience across various devices and screen sizes while maintaining visual appeal and functionality.


• Daniel Anderson is a Microsoft MVP who provides insights into leveraging SharePoint and Copilot to enhance business collaboration through AI-powered solutions.

Introduction to SharePoint's Flexible Sections

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and with it, the tools that facilitate content creation and management must adapt. In a recent YouTube video, Daniel Anderson, a Microsoft MVP, delves into the innovative feature of Flexible Sections in SharePoint. This feature is designed to enhance the responsiveness and customization of modern pages. If you've ever wondered how SharePoint adjusts content when resized, this video is for you. This article will explore the key aspects of Flexible Sections, their advantages, implementation basics, and the challenges they address.

What Are Flexible Sections?

Flexible Sections are a new section type in SharePoint that enable authors to build pages without a strict column structure. This innovative approach allows web parts to be dynamically resized and moved within flexible sections, creating a fully customized section. Consequently, this feature unlocks an endless number of design possibilities for sections. The flexibility offered by these sections is crucial for providing a seamless user experience across various devices and screen sizes.

Advantages of Using Flexible Sections

The introduction of Flexible Sections in SharePoint brings several benefits:

• Enhanced Responsiveness: Flexible Sections allow for dynamic resizing and repositioning of web parts, ensuring that content displays optimally across various devices and screen sizes. This adaptability is crucial for providing a seamless user experience in today’s diverse digital landscape.
• Design Flexibility: Authors can layer and overlap content, group and move multiple web parts as a single unit, and customize backgrounds. This flexibility enables the creation of modern, engaging designs that were previously challenging to achieve within SharePoint’s traditional column constraints.
• Simplified Content Management: The ability to group multiple web parts and move them as a single unit streamlines the content management process, making it more efficient to organize and update page elements.

Basics of Implementing Flexible Sections

Implementing Flexible Sections in SharePoint is straightforward. Here are the basic steps:

• Navigate to the desired page and enter edit mode by selecting Edit at the top right.
• On the section borders, hover over the line with a circled plus sign (+) and select Add a new section.
• Choose the Flexible section type.
• Use the toolbox to add web parts to your flexible section.
• Resize and arrange the web parts as needed to achieve your desired layout.

For detailed instructions, refer to Microsoft's official documentation. This process allows users to create dynamic and responsive layouts that adapt to various screen sizes and devices.

What’s New About This Approach?

Traditional SharePoint page design relied on predefined column structures, which could be limiting when aiming for a responsive and customized layout. The introduction of Flexible Sections marks a significant shift, offering several enhancements:

• Dynamic Resizing: Web parts can be resized to various widths, including full width, one-third, half, and two-thirds of the canvas. Card-based web parts have specific width options, while non-card-based web parts offer more granular control over sizing.
• Layering and Overlapping: Content can be layered and overlapped within the flexible section, allowing for more complex and engaging designs.
• Grouping Functionality: Multiple web parts can be grouped and moved together, simplifying the process of managing complex page layouts.

These enhancements collectively contribute to a more responsive and user-friendly design experience, ensuring that SharePoint pages are both visually appealing and functional across a wide range of devices.

Challenges and Considerations

While Flexible Sections offer numerous advantages, there are challenges and considerations to keep in mind. Balancing design flexibility with usability can be tricky. Overlapping content and complex layouts may lead to confusion if not executed thoughtfully. Additionally, the learning curve for users new to this feature could be steep, requiring time and practice to master. Moreover, ensuring that all content remains accessible and functional across different devices and browsers is crucial. Testing and adjusting designs for various breakpoints and screen sizes is necessary to maintain a consistent user experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SharePoint's Flexible Sections represent a significant advancement in page design and responsiveness. By allowing dynamic resizing, layering, and grouping of web parts, this feature enhances the adaptability and customization of SharePoint pages. While there are challenges to consider, such as usability and accessibility, the benefits of Flexible Sections make them a valuable tool for content creators. As Daniel Anderson's video demonstrates, mastering these features can lead to more engaging and functional digital experiences.

Keywords

SharePoint Flexible Sections Responsive Design SharePoint Layouts Modern Pages SharePoint Customization Mobile-Friendly SharePoint Web Parts User Experience