Todoist: Shaping Productivity through Design
Discover my role and contributions as a product designer at Todoist, where I helped enhance this acclaimed productivity app's user experience.
If you’re into productivity tools, you’ve likely encountered Todoist, the beloved to-do app that helps millions organize their lives. As one of the product designers behind the scenes, I had the privilege of helping shape this app’s evolution over several years, leaving my creative fingerprints on some of its most impactful features.
Todoist: More than just a to-do list
Todoist is the Swiss Army knife of task management. With a seamless interface across iOS, Android, and the web, it’s become a go-to tool for those striving to stay organized and achieve their goals. Whether managing personal errands or juggling professional deadlines, Todoist’s intuitive design and robust features make it indispensable. Designing for such a widely used app meant balancing innovation with simplicity—a challenge I embraced every step of the way.
My role: Blending creativity and functionality
As a Product Designer at Todoist, my mission was clear: make the app visually appealing, intuitive, and deeply aligned with user needs. This meant collaborating closely with developers, marketers, and fellow designers to craft features that resonated with users while staying true to the brand’s identity.
One of my standout contributions was my work on Todoist Foundations, a transformative project that reimagined the app’s core functionality. Foundations revamped critical features, setting the stage for future iterations and enhancing the overall user experience. It was a game-changer, both for the app and for me as a designer.
Key achievements: Design wins that matter
Some of my most notable contributions included:
- Revamping the Task Details view: This screen became a cornerstone of the app, empowering users with a more precise and functional layout for managing tasks. Seeing how much this redesign resonated with users remains a career highlight.
- Enhancing the Search Experience: I reimagined the search engine and results interface, making locating tasks faster and more intuitive—because no one has time to play hide-and-seek with their to-do list.
- Implementing a Dark Theme: Bringing the initial dark theme to life was both a creative and technical challenge, but it’s now one of the app’s most-loved features. I also refined the color palette for all themes, ensuring a visually cohesive experience across the board.
- Introducing Deadlines: I designed this highly requested feature across all of Todoist’s platforms. User research played a pivotal role in its success. Conducting user interviews and presenting prototypes helped shape Deadlines into a seamless and impactful experience for such a crucial feature.
- Bug-Squashing as a “Design Hero”: In this internal role, I focused on perfecting existing features, addressing usability issues, and enhancing reliability. It’s the kind of work that doesn’t always make headlines but ensures users keep loving the app.
Lessons in design (and life)
Designing for Todoist taught me invaluable lessons, like the importance of user research and actively seeking feedback to create solutions that genuinely solve pain points. In a competitive market, constant iteration is key—keeping designs fresh, relevant, and delightful.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams honed my ability to balance tight deadlines and competing priorities. Communicating design decisions effectively became second nature, and these skills have shaped my approach to tackling challenges in fast-paced environments.
A legacy of productivity
Looking back, my time at Todoist was an extraordinary journey of growth, creativity, and impact. I’m proud of my role in making productivity accessible and enjoyable for millions of users worldwide. As a designer and a user myself, it’s gratifying to know that my work helps people organize their days and achieve their goals.
So, if you haven’t already, give Todoist a try. Who knows? It might just transform your productivity game—and make tackling your to-do list a little more fun.
