Behind the scenes

A glimpse on ForumSpark 2.0

Cedric · April 12, 2026 · 2 min read · 570 views

I'll keep this one relatively short, because I don't want to give too much away just yet - but there's enough to talk about that it felt wrong to stay quiet any longer. And I can't contain my excitement personally.

ForumSpark 2.0 is in active development.

As most of you know, Mace has recently joined our team. Since joining the team, she's been heads-down on something we've been wanting to tackle properly for a long time: making ForumSpark look and feel like the premium software it is. Not just a tweak here and there, but a real, considered redesign from the ground up. As the UIX-expert she is, she's made some impressive first concepts.

What's changing

The layout system is being rewritten. That means some things are going away, some things are being introduced fresh, and a lot of things that exist today will just be noticeably better. The goal isn't to make it unrecognisable - it's to make it feel mature. Cleaner typography, more intentional use of space, a stronger visual hierarchy, and an interface that doesn't feel like it needs excusing.

The current UIX feels bloated and outdated. This will be improved tremendously.

The design is being done properly

The first concepts are done in Figma. Every screen, every component, every state - designed and thought through before a line of code gets written. This is a different way of working for us, and it shows in the result. The difference between what exists today and what's coming is significant.

I'd love to share more, and I will as things get closer. For now, here are a few previews to give you a sense of the direction.

These are still in progress. What you're seeing represents the thinking, not the final state. But the direction is set. And clear, we hope.

On timing

I'm not putting a date on this yet. Too early for that, and I'd rather give you something worth the wait than rush it out. What I can say is that working with Mace on this has been very exciting, and the pace has been good. And together we'll be able to create that premium-software feeling.

If you have thoughts, things you've always wanted to see improved, or features you'd like to see handled differently in the new design - now is actually a great time to share them.

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Discussion53

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ForumMaster Members 4 months ago

I’m excited when is it coming out?

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 4 months ago

On Apr 18, 2026, ForumMaster said:
I’m excited when is it coming out?

No ETA yet. We’re still figuring things out, making a final decision on things, then we’ll start implementing it. Which could be weeks, but also could be months.

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Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 3 months ago

Just a small notice that we have officially began working on ForumSpark 2.0

I expect to release a new version later this week still on the current version. After that it may take a while for any releases to happen until we've completed FS2. Unless something critical happens of course. Very excited to bring this new version soon. 😊

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NeoMetallix Members 3 months ago

I'm excited for 2.0! It just keeps getting better!

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Eclipse Members 3 months ago

Excited to see the next version! Joining late to the game but from what I've seen so far, looks like the next version is going to be HUGE. If you are in need of any testers, I'd be happy to help

ForumMaster Members 3 months ago

Excited!

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

Thought I’d share a few screenshots of what’s coming. 🙂

There are a couple of new features, a lot of redesign work going on, and so far we’ve already changed over 700 files. 😅 So it’s safe to say this is basically a completely reinvented version of the software.

There will be more customization possibilities, more features, better optimization, and more. We’ve also added a new AI topic summary feature, several smart and live additions that help make a community feel more alive instead of static, and a much-improved search system.

I’m really excited to bring this new version to you soon. There’s no ETA yet, and I don’t want to reveal too much just now, but enjoy these new screenshots. ☺️

Some things are still subject to change.

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NeoMetallix Members 2 months ago

Everything looks great, @Cedric !

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Daedalus Members 2 months ago

Excited to see there's a built-in divider for sticky/pinned threads with this update.

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Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

One of the new features coming in 2.0 is bulk emails.

Keeping your community informed about changes, updates, and improvements is important, and soon you’ll be able to do that directly from ForumSpark.

Bulk emails will also include a few smart segments, allowing you to tailor newsletters based on member activity. For example, you’ll be able to target members who were active in the last 30 days, inactive for more than 30 days, members who have never posted, or members who joined within the last 7 days.

Premium users will get access to more advanced analytics, additional settings, and extra options to fine-tune their email campaigns.

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NeoMetallix Members 2 months ago

I was actually going to suggest this(well similar) but decided not to since you're so busy working on 2.0. 😂 Very very nice!

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Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

Clubs are completely redesigned from the ground up in v2.0 😎

And our Link Directory has also been refreshed using the same side navigation.

There's a few polishes needed to be done, but I wanted to share this preview anyhow. 🙂

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NeoMetallix Members 2 months ago

It's all coming together nicely!

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

Among the many new things comes a new User CP:

There are also new features such as ignoring/blocking. While this isn't new, you can now force an ignore between members, topics and forums. Additionally, you can alternatively ban certain members from topics and forums in case they cannot act properly.

And for those who paid attention, you see a glimpse of the new profile page including Status Updates. 😜

As a side note: development has been going great and we are nearing completion soon.

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Daedalus Members 2 months ago

Sectional banning sounds like a great solution for when members get heated during debates/political discussions.

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

On Jun 25, 2026, Daedalus said:
Sectional banning sounds like a great solution for when members get heated during debates/political discussions.

Indeed, giving them a temporary timeout often resolves some heat more naturally.

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Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

Also starting in v2.0: Priority Support

Premium plans starting from EARN will include direct priority support through your ACP or by email.

In the past, support requests came through all sorts of different channels. With Priority Support, your requests are handled through a dedicated support flow, making it much easier for us to see and respond quickly.

When a priority support request is submitted, we are immediately notified by email and Discord, allowing us to respond much faster than regular forum-based support.

Priority Support includes a guaranteed response within 2 hours.

NeoMetallix Members 2 months ago

That sounds great, but isn't this just you and one other person on this project? If it gets big you may need to hire support staff.

As always, great stuff!

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

On Jun 30, 2026, IntellectualLiberation said:
That sounds great, but isn't this just you and one other person on this project? If it gets big you may need to hire support staff.
As always, great stuff!

That is eventually the plan. 🙂

Cedric ForumSpark Team Author 2 months ago

Moving forward with 2.0, you will be able to select a Q&A kind of forum in create sections. Flip any forum into question-and-answer mode: answers sort by votes, and the asker (or staff) marks one as accepted, pinned to the top. It opens up support and how-to communities that currently reach for that extra supportive feeling.

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