Visual Space manual, Spaces, Expo

Expo is the official showcase for a space and its areas. It brings selected posts, articles, events, goals, and documents into one visual collection so visitors can quickly understand what the community values and has accomplished.

A Showcase, Not The Whole Library

The Documents app is the broad library of work in a space. Expo is the curated layer above it: a smaller selection of published items that deserve extra visibility because they are useful, representative, or especially important.

This distinction gives each surface a clear purpose:

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Expo helps visitors discover highlights without sorting through every available item.

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Documents is where members browse the wider collection, including material that has not been selected for the showcase.

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The original item remains the source. Opening a tile takes the reader to that content rather than creating a separate Expo copy.

Use All Docs in the Expo header when you want to leave the selection and explore the broader Documents library.

One Space, Several Levels Of Focus

Expo follows the same space, subspace, and activity hierarchy that organizes the community. The heading identifies the area you are viewing, while the collection changes to match that scope.

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Activity Expo shows items selected from that activity.

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Subspace Expo brings together items selected directly in the subspace and items from its activities.

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Space Expo provides the broadest view, including selected work from the space, its subspaces, and their activities.

This rollup lets a strong contribution stay visible in its immediate working area while also appearing in the larger community showcase. Moving into a narrower Expo removes unrelated work from view, which makes activity-level browsing more focused.

Discover Work And People

Showcased items appear in a visual grid. Images help articles and posts stand out, while other items can use the Expo symbol when no suitable preview is available. Select a tile to open its source and continue reading or working there.

The space-level Expo also introduces people behind the highlighted work. Contributor cards can open public profiles, and View All continues to the full contributor view for the space. Expo provides this discovery entry point; the full ranking and its broader contribution signals live on that dedicated page.

On desktop, the page may temporarily move its side panels out of the way after the pointer has been idle, giving the showcase more room. Move the pointer to bring the panels back.

The space-level showcase combines contributor discovery with both fallback and image-backed tiles, while All Docs leads to the broader library.

How Work Reaches Expo

Space owners curate Expo from the menu on eligible published content. The menu reflects the item's current state:

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Add To Expo places the item in the showcase for its space area.

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Remove From Expo takes it out of the showcase without deleting the original.

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Drafts stay outside Expo until they are published and eligible for selection.

Selection should be deliberate. A useful Expo is compact enough to scan and varied enough to represent the area: foundational articles, meaningful goals, notable events, strong posts, and completed or reusable documents can all play different roles.

For the complete curation flow, see Curate Expo.

Titles And Preview Images Stay Connected

Expo presents the source item rather than a detached copy. When a showcased title changes, its Expo label updates as well. Articles and posts can also supply a preview image; adding or replacing the relevant source image refreshes the thumbnail, while removing the only available image returns the tile to its fallback symbol.

These updates keep the showcase recognizable without asking owners to add the item again after every normal edit. The curation choice remains in place while the presentation follows the source.

Access And Page States

Expo follows the access rules of the space area it represents. Public visitors can browse content that is publicly available. Content in a private space or area remains limited to accepted members with access; appearing in Expo does not make private work public.

While the page is loading, neutral contributor cards and document tiles hold the layout in place. A scope with no selected work may show the same quiet placeholder treatment rather than an active collection. If a space Expo contains work but an activity Expo does not, the likely explanation is scope: the selected items belong elsewhere in the hierarchy.

Common Questions

Does Expo replace Documents?

No. Expo is a selective showcase, while Documents remains the broader library. Use Expo for highlights and All Docs when you need the full collection.

Can the same selection appear at more than one level?

An item selected in an activity appears in that activity's Expo and rolls up into its parent subspace and space views. It does not appear in unrelated activities or subspaces.

Who can add and remove items?

The space owner has the reliable curation path. Some content menus may also allow a member with Expo-management responsibility to curate, but delegated behavior can vary by content type. If the action is absent, ask the space owner to make the selection.

Why can I not add a draft?

Expo is designed for published, visible work. Finish and publish the item before looking for Add To Expo.

Does removing an item from Expo delete it?

No. Remove From Expo changes the showcase selection only. The original remains in its normal app and Documents location.

Why is a tile using the Expo symbol instead of an image?

No supported preview image is available for that item. Articles and posts can gain a thumbnail when an eligible source image is added.

Explore Expo In Practice

See Browse An Expo for a reader-focused tour of scope, tiles, contributors, and the full Documents handoff. Space owners can continue with Curate Expo to build and maintain the selection.