Saas

Inbox Redesign

Role: Lead UI/UX Designer

I spend a ridiculous amount of my life in inboxes- email, iMessage, Slack, etc. Maybe you do, too. These digital spaces facilitate millions of social interactions, creating and reinforcing our communities. They must be clear, comfortable spaces. Clearstream's inbox was... a little less than that. Which left room to learn and play when I tackled a redesign. The goal was to incorporate some core thread features tech-savvy users had come to expect while keeping the space minimal, accessible, and welcoming. Since the inbox is one of Clearstream's most high-traffick features, this was quite a task.  

A product illustration of a minimal inbox, with an open thread
After.png
Assign Thread.png
Folders.png
Search.png

Challenges

  • The inbox layout lacked basic features for efficient message management without any clear organizational, grouping, or status tools. Returning to an important thread was like finding your favorite pen in your kitchen’s clutter drawer… Good luck.

  • A thread needed clear contextual clues. What message kicked off the thread, and had the subscriber initiated other recent conversations?

An old screenshot of Clearstream's inbox 
Inbox, circa 2021
Early wireframe notes from the inbox

Exploration & Solutions

Folders

  • Easy access in menu view, preview view, and message view.

  • Folders can be customized by color and name for easy identification.

  • Users can view and remove folders directly from the message header.

Marking a Message as Unread

  • What it says on the tin!

Archiving Messages

  • An archive feature with an unarchive button... usually simple is best.

  • Visually distinct archived messages for quick scanning in search results.

But wait… there’s more!

  • We added more sorting layers, allowing users to assign threads to an internal team member or volunteer.

  • An advanced search feature with various filter options, such as phone number, user, or long code. 

  • If an inbox thread began when a subscriber replied to a mass text, the user could see exactly which had started the conversation. A mass text had become a one-on-one conversation, eliminating confusion over threads that appeared to start out of mid-air. 

Results

These designs are still in development, check back for results soon ✨

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