App Redesign | Slack

Timeline
2 Months
Type Branding, UI/UX

Group members

Madeline Weeda

Alex Mays

Emily Kaman

ProjectChoose an app that has a difficult interface and information hierarchy and redesign the layout and mapping of the map. This group project is to understand the importance of hierarchy and choose an appropriate mapping to fit the needs of users and apply a new branding benchmark, research and test to insure that all information hierarchy fits the needs of the user.

Design Statement

The goal is to make the Slack application more user friendly by improving information hierarchy and organization by adding a central homepage to view all Workspaces and create a less overwhelming user interface, also adding features to help users find messages and  app features such as making pinned messages easier to locate and adding features that make links and previous images sent easier to find, and personalizing the user experience so it is unique to each user and fits the needs for their functions of the app.

Personas

Personas used were average people who use Slack in their professional lives as well as education in small groups.

Benchmarking

Discord

App for communicating with friends, like Slack but for casual
interactions
Has similar function with channels, sections within channels
Allows for customization based on which channel you are in
Can set status

Teams

App that focuses on communicating with others more professionally, similar to Slack in how it works
Similar channel features as Discord
Has a status bar to set or others to see

Canvas

App for homework / communicating with professors and staying organized
Classes have their own messaging sections to professors and others in that class
Centralized section for viewing all notifications from professors

User Tests

Frustrations were compiled from user tests done by the group and others, some having similarity with the app and others not.

Difficult to find links or photos sent in a particular channel and recent messages
Difficult for new users to navigate
Frustrating being unable to see notifications between different sections
Channels organized alphabetically, makes it inconvenient to get to channels
Overwhelming amount of information
Some functions lack purpose and others are grouped in illogical ways for purpose

Information Architecture

Reworking the architecture of the app became one of the biggest processes as the original was busy and overwhelming for users of all experience levels.

Notes Included:

Chaotic
Lots of hidden information that has too many buttons to access
Overwhelming for new users
Only accounted for one workspace

The proposed new information architecture would include:

Bottom Navigation Bar contains  all global functions (Notifications,  Workspaces)
Added a home screen with user’s workspaces
Rethought the Workspace Home to include a search, DMs, Channels,  Voice Channels, & Workspace Members

Black & White Wireframes

Style Guide

Final

Mock Ups