Slack gets a makeover! Business communication tool unveils plan to roll out WhatsApp-style messaging as part of a major update – here is what else is new
- Slack is redesigned with a breezy purple colour scheme and trendy app icons
- There’s a messaging interface that may have taken inspiration from WhatsApp
It’s the go-to messaging service for office workers all over the world, and now Slack is getting a makeover.
The platform, owned by US firm Salesforce, has got a complete redesign, from a slimmed-down left-side menu to a messaging interface that looks like WhatsApp.
There’s a cleaner interface with prominent bright purple, which aims to make workers more productive and alert even after several hours of staring at the screen.
Slack execs say the changes will let people navigate the platform in fewer clicks and ‘stay focused and productive’ while pritorising the most important tasks.
Here’s what you need to know about the new design to Slack, which will be rolled out to its 20 million users worldwide in the coming months.
Slack has redesigned with a breezy purple colour scheme and trendy app icons. Owned by Salesforce, the platform lets you message people from both in and out of your organisation
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Slack’s redesign will be welcome news to users who struggle with the current version’s somewhat cluttered left-side menu.
As any user will know, when you open up Slack the menu has three drop-down categories listed on this maroon-coloured column.
There’s ‘direct messages’ (where you can message a fellow employee) and ‘channels’ (where you can message multiple employees in tandem about a particular subject or theme).
There’s also ‘apps’, which connect other software that you use (like Google Calendar, Salesforce or one of your company’s internal tools) to Slack.
Currently, channels, direct messages and apps are all separately listed under their respective category and look a bit messy.
But Slack is finally tidying this menu up with some minimalist app icons that may have been inspired by social media.
The icon at the top, called ‘Home’ with an illustration of a house, is described as ‘a place you can base yourself throughout your day’.
Home is where you can access individual channels from every workspace (both in and out your organisation) as well as direct messages and apps.
The ‘Home’ tab is where you’ll be able to access individual channels from every workspace (both in and out your organisation) as well as direct messages and apps
Slack is looking like more like WhatsApp with chats laid out in a fancy and more elaborate interface
Slack, the go-to messaging service for office workers all over the world, is now getting a makeover (file photo)
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A second tab underneath Home is ‘DMs’, a dedicated space for accessing your direct messages, which appear WhatsApp-style with the most recent at the top.
Clicking on one of your chats will bring up the full chat thread – and you can also toggle on and off the option to see the ones with messages you haven’t read.
A third icon called ‘Activity’ with an illustration of a bell is where you can see ‘everything that needs your attention’.
It shows you every time anyone has messaged you or interacted with you in a channel – making it less difficult to miss something from you colleagues, whether it’s feedback, praise or constructive criticism.
Slack developers say Activity is the best place to land when you’re starting as soon as you’ve opened up the platform in the morning.
‘As you start your day, jump into Activity to get up to speed on work that’s in motion and important to you,’ Slack said in a blog post.
‘Set aside time to respond to your unread Direct Messages when you’re between meetings.’
‘Activity’ with an illustration of a bell shows every time anyone has messaged you or tagged you in a channel – with number of notifications shown social media-style
There’s also a fourth icon called ‘Later’ where you can stash a message or action item asking you to do something that isn’t as urgent as other tasks.
You can also set a reminder to make sure anything frittered away in the Later tab is completed on time – and not totally forgotten about.
Much like you’d click on a circular button on Twitter to create a new tweet, Slack also now has a ‘create’ button at the bottom of the left-side menu.
Discernable by its plus symbol, clicking on the create’ button that allows you to start new messages and channels, as well as ‘canvases’ (Slack’s trendy version of workplace documents) and ‘huddles’ (audio calls).
There’s also a magnifying glass that lets you search your Slack interactions – making important old messages easier to find.
There’s also a fourth icon called ‘Later’ where you can stash a message or action item asking you to do something that isn’t as urgent as other tasks
Much like you’d click on a circular button on Twitter to create a new tweet, Slack also now has a ‘create’ button at the bottom of the left-side menu
Slack’s redesign comes to the free version of Slack as well as the two paid subscription options that have more functionality.
Slack said the new version of the platform acts as a ‘foundation’ to help it deliver ‘more innovations to you in the months and years ahead’.
‘We know millions of people start and end their workday in Slack,’ said Noah Weiss, chief product officer at Slack.
‘So we took great care to ensure these improvements make it a more productive and pleasant home.
‘The new experience helps teams stay better organised, focus on what’s important, and quickly access a growing set of tools in Slack.’
Slack was initially an internal comms tool just for a US software firm called Tiny Speck prior to its public launch in August 2013.
Slack’s redesign will be welcome news to users who struggle with the current version’s somewhat cluttered left-side menu (pictured)
It soared in popularity during the Covid pandemic as workers were forced to stay at home, making face-to-face communication not feasible.
Slack had 142,000 paying customers by the end of October 2020, up from 110,000 at the end of January that year, according to Statista.
Purchased by Salesforce for around $27.7 billion in January 2021, it has since evolved into a platform for not only employee communication but also external recruitment.
Slack lets people message employees from both in and outside of their company – making it a hotspot for those hoping to land new jobs.
BEST SLACK ALTERNATIVES
1. Microsoft Teams
Like Slack, Teams is a messaging app that’s predominantly used for communications in the workplace. The platform can also be used to make calls and hold important video conferences.
2. Google Messaging
While this platform is available on the web, it was initially developed for Google’s Android users. It’s thought to be quite similar to Apple’s iMessage – bridging the gap between traditional texts and instant messaging.
3. Discord
Popularly used for gaming, Discord offers users the ability to call and message one another. This can take place within private chats or as part of topic-focused communities known as servers.
4. Workplace by Meta
Mark Zuckerberg’s Workplace is an ‘all-in-one business communication platform’ that offers chat, video and groupwork tools. Companies can even view their own personalised news feed which looks quite similar to Facebook’s.
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