Optics now runs fully on Atlassian Forge, Atlassian’s next-generation platform for cloud apps.

As part of this transition, the Designer macro will be deprecated starting April 1. Going forward, teams can use Dex by Optics to create structured, visually engaging Confluence pages directly inside their workspace.

Dex is part of Optics and introduces a template-driven way to format and present content in Confluence without requiring design expertise or additional tools.

Why the Designer macro is being deprecated

The Designer macro was originally created as a flexible page builder inside Confluence. It allowed users to build pages using sections, layout elements, and visual components.

However, with Optics now fully running on Atlassian Forge, certain technical limitations of the new platform mean that the Designer macro can no longer be supported in its current form. As part of the platform migration, Designer will be deprecated starting April 1.

Most people building pages in Confluence are not professional designers. They are product managers, HR teams, operations teams, or marketers who simply want to communicate updates clearly while keeping their pages consistent and visually engaging.

While Designer offered a high level of flexibility, the many options for adding and structuring content could sometimes feel overwhelming. In practice, users often focused on how to place and combine elements to create a well-structured and visually appealing page, instead of focusing on clearly communicating their message.

In reality, most teams simply want to create clear, structured, and visually engaging pages quickly, without having to make complex design decisions. Based on a deeper understanding of how teams create and share content in Confluence, shaped through ongoing discussions with customers, we developed Dex as part of Optics.

With Dex, teams have a simpler way to do exactly that: create structured, visually engaging pages using ready-to-use templates and beautifully styled blocks directly inside Confluence.

Dex: A better way to format content and build pages in Confluence

Instead of starting from a blank page, Dex by Optics allows teams to create pages using prebuilt, beautifully styled blocks and templates directly inside Confluence.

Dex removes design distractions so your message can stand out with clarity and impact. With structured templates and built-in visual logic, pages stay visually consistent while still allowing teams to adapt content to their needs.

Whether you need one outstanding block on your Confluence page to highlight content, or you would like to create a complete plan with all the templates for your next status meeting, Dex helps you communicate clearly while ensuring every page looks polished and professional.

Teams can use Dex to:

• turn complex updates into clear, structured communication

• keep stakeholders aligned with visually consistent pages

• create campaign pages or internal announcements

• transform Confluence pages into presentation-ready content

From single blocks to full presentation-style pages, Dex adapts to your storytelling needs without ever leaving Confluence.

🤗 Create structured, presentation-ready pages in Confluence with Dex

With Dex, you can create clear, visually engaging pages in minutes without overthinking layout or design decisions.

👉 Book a demo for Dex
👉 See how to update your Optics app to get the Forge version
👉 More information about the migration to Forge