The large Slack redesign is dividing opinion By Joseph Foley revealed 11 August 23 Does this look acquainted?

1 month ago 3 min read

Slack has turn out to be the moment messaging program of alternative for a lot of inventive groups, typically changing the bodily workplace for these working remotely. However whereas the platform’s been including increasingly new options, its UI design has modified little – till now.

Recognising that issues have been beginning to get somewhat cluttered, the platform, now owned by Salesforce, has introduced a serious UI redesign. And surprisingly, it seems to be extra like e-mail – one of many mediums it was designed to interchange (see our decide of the most effective UI design instruments in your personal consumer interface work).

The sidebar within the new Slack UI design (Picture credit score: Slack)

Like many communication apps, Slack has aimed to incorporate increasingly functionalities. In addition to channels, threads and direct messages for chat, there’s file storage, a Google Doc-like characteristic referred to as Canvases and audio, video and display sharing in Huddles. That is left the UI beginning to really feel bloated. So Slack has introduced its biggest-ever redesign, introducing a really completely different look and format that goals to make it simpler to search out issues.

The Slack resdesign incorporates a new Residence part that appears fairly just like the Slack interface we all know, exhibiting channels, DMs and apps. However a key distinction is that you can see channels from a number of workspaces, without having to toggle between them.

Slack redesign — Slack’s new ‘Create’ button (Picture credit score: Slack)

The largest change is that the brand new UI provides a sidebar on the left. This features a DM part that appears very similar to that of e-mail apps and, dare we are saying?, even like Slack rival Microsoft Groups. Beneath that, there’s an Exercise window that gathers messages, mentions and reactions from all of your Slack workspaces. In the meantime, a single ‘Create’ button, indicated with a plus signal, offers a fast option to carry out a spread of duties: be it to ship a brand new message, launch a brand new chat channel, begin an audio or video Huddle or open a brand new Canvas

The sidebar offers extra visibility to Huddles and Later, two options that many customers in all probability have not even seen till now (Later permits customers to rapidly save issues and add a reminder). This makes it really feel that the redesign is especially for individuals who use all of Slack’s options (and maybe to encourage those who do not to start out utilizing them). Those that solely use the essential messaging options could really feel the change is pointless, and certainly the redesign is already scary debate.

@Viber Desktop circa 2013 pic.twitter.com/Mfg7s5sCJYAugust 9, 2023

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The Slack redesign is ideal as a result of what you need in an expert instrument is to have the ability to see half of the knowledge you want and for every thing to be three clicks away with monumental quantity of white house pic.twitter.com/cWmtVVyZDUAugust 9, 2023

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This new Slack redesign is wild pic.twitter.com/FlgNdtMRtcAugust 9, 2023

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Over on Twitter, many are noting the similarities to e-mail and different messaging apps. “Mainly a Gmail reskin,” somebody has urged. “Did they copy and paste the Microsoft Groups UI?!” one particular person desires to know. “Skype and Microsoft groups had a child, didn’t you hear?” another person joked.

As for whether or not the resemblance is an effective or unhealthy factor, there are blended opinions. Some agree that it appears cleaner, whereas others assume it seems to be extra cluttered and troublesome to navigate than earlier than. “Ewww that is what occurs when corporations are purchased and the pristine design group will get changed with MBA higher administration choices,” one particular person tweeted. “Feels Outlook-ish, however I feel I’m gonna prefer it,” another person contested.

The redesigned Slack UI is rolling out for brand new accounts. Current paying clients are anticipated to obtain the replace within the coming months. You’ll find out extra on the Slack Assist heart.

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