Email Client Capstone Project: chitchat

This Capstone Project was focused on User Flow and UI designs.

The Problem:

Entrepreneurs need a new way to communicate with clients because of time lost in their emails. They are looking for a solution to provide efficiency and more time available in their work day.

Research

In the past 6 years more and more teams are moving away from email and towards team communications platforms like slack and discord. Many freelancers are also making the move, but it's hard to constantly invoice new people to a slack channel for a limited engagement.

(provided by Dribbble)

User Flow

The first user flow was completed during the introduction video. However, I realized it didn't accomplish all of the goals and frustrations of the user.

My first solution was to add a setup flow that would help reduce her redundant tasks and automate some essential functions. I liked the User Flow and felt like this was a good start. However, after creating the wireframes, I realized that this setup created a barrier to entry.  

I ended up repurposing the wireframes screens and making them accessible from each of the email screens instead of adding an additional user flow. This way it feels more normal for updates to be made regularly.

Wireframes

Below is the basic flow for sending, saving, or, scheduling a canned response. I used tools such as, Intercom, gmail, imessage, and slack as inspiration due to the user goal of a more causal and conversational email process.

White space was fairly important to ensure the program doesn't feel cluttered or overwhelming. I also wanted to have shades of one color for cohesion and clarity.

Below are a few completed screens. The inbox has a similar UI to a text message with the options to schedule a send, save as a draft and categorize different messages. To move to the canned response or automated messages page, the user will head to the top right corner of any page.

Outcomes

I didn't realize how much I've been taking email for granted! There are so many options in Outlook and Gmail. It definitely is overwhelming. Through this project, I've been able to think about how email and chat are actually being used and what features to include and remove.

This project really helped to make better visual design decisions. Of course, design trends will change, but focusing on the psychology of design is what really made me feel confident in my choices.