Excerpt from assignment brief:
"In this project we will redesign the interactions users have with desktop email clients - your outlooks, apple mails, and windows mails. Things we all use daily and expect to work seamlessly, but that have the power to disappoint and make a mountain out of a mole. We will focus our attention on
the ability or micro-interactions to make those digital chores easier, simpler, more enjoyable - and less noticeable.
the power of the well-designed user interface to move the task to the periphery, and to bring forward the delight of being able to communicate instantly across the globe."
SWOT Analysis
Step 1 was to explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of existing email clients.
Significant Stickies:
"Redesign deleting emails so it's more prominent and rewarding. Or look at all the things people do with an email when they're done with it and make that a single rewarding flow. Help people keep their inbox empty."
"Does not show where you left off reading if you enter an email(gmail)"
"Hidden trigger to delete all emails in trash folder!(cmd + a)(apple)"
Based on this analysis, I. decided to focus on designing a better way to address unread emails. I wanted to make this process more productive and more flowing.
Precedent Exploration
The next step was to look at existing UI's that tackle the same issue as me. I was evaluating them for examples to follow and non-examples to avoid.
Turbotax has a static progress indicator. Perhaps I can use a progress bar to indicate progress in addressing unread emails.
Outlook's toolbar for handling an email includes moving to a folder, deleting, flagging, and replying.
Gmail has useful left and right arrows for moving to consecutive and previous emails.
Flow Chart
Wireframes
Significant Features:
1. 'Respond to Emails' button puts the user in a responding mode
2. Customizable Progress Bar
3. Horizontal scroll of all unread emails
