Goals

For 5+ years we’ve continued to add complexity, features and plugins to a web layout that has largely gone unchanged. We continuously encounter design challenges when building new features as a result. 

The layout can be overwhelming and confusing for users as evident in NPS feedback. The hierarchy of information can be confusing.

Simplify the layout hierarchy

Structure the app with a clearer hierarchy of functions that’s obvious to onboarding users. Currently, overflowing icons in a bloated channel header contains a mix of user, team, system, plugin, channel and search functions.

Provide access for switching between apps in the new product ‘Suite’

With the addition of Incident Collaboration and Focalboard and the new initiative to ship our first suite of products, we’ll need a global control to easily navigated to these products. This global control will need to be consistent between all products.

Give apps/plugins a proper home

In order to scale our app marketplace and eventually offer users the ability to install apps themselves, apps will need a dedicated home in the UI. Users will need customizability to manage their apps, and apps will need real-estate they can have full control over.

Apps will now have access to the RHS which will enable multi-tasking for users to interact with apps in the RHS and chats in the main channel content area.

Consolidate UI patterns and align with design system

The design team has been working hard to unify the UI and design language used across the platform. Over time, we need to take any opportunity we can to update the UI to these standards and remove old patterns.