Threads has quickly risen to the top tier of my design inspiration list...
I'm all in on this product > Slack
Here are my 10 favorite design details π
01 // Hover sidebar
When my device size is narrow, I can access the full sidebar on hover.
Slack makes me click and I always forget where the icon lives.
This flow is 10x more seamless and I almost prefer narrowing screens as a result...
02 // Playfullness
Threads doesn't take itself too seriously. Work can be fun too!
I love that they have these fun animated banners and allow me to add silly gifs as channel icons.
These are the kinds of details that make me want to spend more time in the product.
Speaking of keeping things lighthearted...
How great are these default avatars?!?
They even went the extra mile and allowed me to cmd + click to generate random background gradients π
This kind of personalization makes the product way more sticky π
03 // Customization
I'm a huge fan of products that allow me to control my own density settings.
This is something that can totally vary from channel to channel and I love that they give me the control.
(bonus points for these juicy borders)
04 // Opinionated
My favorite software products are often the most opinionated (and this is often what it takes to truly improve on existing workflows)...
Like how threads automatically creates new blocks after 500 characters.
I didn't know I needed this. But it's brilliant.
Another way that Threads is very opinionated is that things don't disappear until you mark them as "Done".
No more worrying about unread/read as a way to keep track of things.
I have a to do list!
It requires action on my part which is new, but I already love it β€οΈ
05 // Familiarity
Threads doesn't get cute or try to reinvent the wheel when it doesn't have to.
I LOVE huddles in Slack. And I'm glad that they simply brought the feature in as it already exists.
Innovate when necessary. Capitalize on familiarity when possible.
06 // Innovation
But they do pick the right places to innovate...
I am ALWAYS sharing Loom videos in Slack. But it creates a disjointed feedback experience.
So Threads went all in on video and it's so π much π better π
The vertical video makes it all feel more human too.
07 // Know your audience
Threads went all in on designers by solving a core workflow challenge:
I'm constantly linking to Figma frames with accompanying screenshots
Except... those get out of sync QUICKLY.
Not anymore with "Resync frame" and a shiny new upload plugin πͺ
08 // Anticipation
Threads anticipates the questions that I have...
Like "who has seen this already?"
I am CONSTANTLY asking that question in Slack but never considered it as a missing feature...
Being able to anticipate Qs like this demonstrates elite understanding π
09 // Keyboard shortcuts
My favorite products are all designed from the ground up to not require me to use my mouse.
Threads nails this and I love how keyboard commands are attached to hover states (this is one of my favorite details in Linear)
I also LOVE that they use simple letter key shortcuts but then turn them off whenever I'm focused in an input.
See how the "D" is removed from the done button on focus?
I super appreciate this attention to detail.
10 // Little big UI details
Threads cares about the tiny UI polish that makes a product truly beautiful
Just look at the detail on these inputs. The double borders... the subtle inner shadow... the shading...
It's all π€
And if you want to play with it yourself I highly recommend jumping on the waitlist:
(don't you just want to pop that icon in your mouth π€€)
threads.com
Lastly if you're looking for tips on organizing all of this inspiration...
I made a little tutorial video where I show you how to create the ultimate design swipefile in Notion π