Slack, the popular workplace chat app, is getting a major redesign. The new look and layout are designed to improve productivity by making it easier to navigate between channels and conversations, putting a greater spotlight on tasks, and providing rapid access to tools. So let’s explore how everything has transitioned to a new and hopefully more user-friendly setup.

Slack Redesign: Here’s everything to know

Slack’s new interface is a subtle but significant change for longtime users. Here, the most noticeable change is the left sidebar. Previously, if you were logged in to multiple workspaces, you would see a tile for each workspace. Now, the sidebar is collapsed into a single tile, and Slack is using this freed-up space for new navigation options. The sidebar now includes buttons for Home, DMs, Activity, Later, and More, along with a search icon and a new Create button.

The Home tab still features a central column of channels and unread direct messages. And when you click on a channel or unread items, it expands in the main space on the right. This makes it easier to see all of the messages in a conversation without having to scroll back and forth. 

Meanwhile, the DMs list your direct message conversations, while the Later tab can be used to save messages and items that you want to revisit later. Likewise, Slack’s new Activity feed provides a consolidated view of all your activity on the platform. This includes everything from threads, and mentions, to reactions. You can also view each of these types of activities in separate tabs within the Activity section. The More tab is a catch-all for other tools and features in Slack, such as apps and workflows, canvases, and huddles.

Moreover, the Create button has replaced the draft message option. It allows you to quickly create a new message, huddle, canvas, or channel. Another update for Slack is the Search.  Users can now click on search results to see the full context for an item. This means that users can see the message or conversation that the item is from without having to open it in a separate window. 

What else has changed in Slack?

Besides new functionalities, Slack has updated its color scheme to make it easier to distinguish between the different parts of the interface. The leftmost column of tabs is now a darker shade of purple, while the central channel column is a lighter shade of purple. This helps to create a visual hierarchy and makes it easier to scan the interface.

The update also brings more theme color choices, so users can customize the look of Slack to their liking. This is a great way to make Slack feel more personal and inviting.

Slack’s new redesign is designed to help users stay focused and less distracted. The designers have made the interface as simple and intuitive as possible, with a focus on reducing clutter and noise.

Notably, Slack has made over 100 changes to the software in the past 12 months. The new redesign will be rolled out to new teams starting today, and will be available to existing customers ‘in the coming months’.

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The post Slack gets a makeover: Here’s what’s changed in the new design appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google has a new document scanner app that automatically categorizes your scanned documents. Stack, as it is called, also has a security feature that allows you to lock your documents which can then be accessed with your fingerprint or via face unlock.

Stack is the new product out of Google’s Area 120, its workshop for experimental products that are designed to solve everyday problems. Some of Area 120’s products include Google News, the Cardboard VR headset, and Grasshopper, an app that teaches you how to code using quizzes.

The new app borrows the technology that powers Google’s DocAI enterprise tool which is used for document analysis. The Verge reports that Stack was built by Christopher Pedregal and Matthew Cowan who built the Socratic educational app now owned by Google.

By using Google’s biometric authentication built into Android, Slack can allow uses lock documents that can then be accessed using a registered fingerprint or face. The AI features will automatically sort scanned files and documents into different categories. It can also identify key information on a scanned document such as a due date for a bill, amount to be paid, or an account number. Users can also search through scanned documents to find information they need.

Becuase Slack is an experimental app, there is a possibility that Google may kill it if it doesn’t catch on. They may also integrate it into an existing app or service. However, this looks like an app that several users will find useful.

At the moment, Stack seems to be only available to those in the US via the Play Store. However, if you can grab the APK from a trusted source, you can sideload it to see if it works.

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