There are a couple of other related/similar UX issues that aim to solve different problems with the Layout UI:

1691: allow blocks to be grouped so that they can be:

a) configured en mass from a single dialog (less clicking around, avoid having to repeat the same config steps) b) moved around as a whole (less clicking and moving around) c) collapse them in order to save vertical space (make the UI less complex, require less scrolling to reach the form submit buttons)

1886: figure out a way to reuse blocks that have already been configured in other layouts and be able to keep their configuration in sync.

There's also this related module for Drupal: Block Visibility Groups that...

...allows the site administrator to easily manage complex visibility settings that apply to any block placed in a visibility group. The visibility settings for all blocks in the group can be edited on one administration form.

They use the term "group" that initially made me think that this would be more like #1691, but it's not quite like that... it does NOT allow blocks to be grouped and moved around or collapsed, but it allows visibility conditions to be edited from a single place instead of having to edit each block separately. So basically, it does half the job of point a above (not all settings - just visibility conditions).

It also resembles #1886 in that it allows certain blocks settings (visibility conditions) to be kept in sync and edited form a single place having changes be reflected to all blocks.

So basically, Block Visibility Groups allows to create visibility condition templates that can be assigned to many blocks. When one needs to change the visibility conditions in blocks that are spread across many themes/layouts, they can edit the visibility condition template and the change propagates to all blocks that use it.

I know that the block placement UX in Drupal sucks big time when compared to our awesome blocks and layouts, but this small module does improve things and it looks like we can borrow the idea of visibility condition templates.

Thoughts?