Twist: Redefining communication in remote work
Delve into this case study on Twist, revealing the design journey behind the asynchronous messaging app revolutionizing remote collaboration.
As a product designer at Doist, I had the privilege of contributing to Twist, an exhilarating endeavor aimed at enhancing online collaboration. Twist, an asynchronous messaging application, empowers teams to communicate and collaborate effortlessly, regardless of their location. Its unique feature of organizing conversations into threads promotes productivity over presence.
Twist is an asynchronous messaging app designed to make collaboration easy for teams, regardless of their location. It utilizes threads to organize conversations, ensuring that important work communication doesn't get buried in chit-chat. With Twist, you can create structured channels to break through team silos and gain visibility on your team's work. The app also prioritizes calm and less anxiety by providing smarter notifications and gathering threads in one inbox.
Twist enables quick onboarding of new employees and easy sharing of past context through easily accessible threads. Additionally, you can use messages for casual banter, ironing out details, or giving feedback. By replacing team meetings with async threads, Twist eliminates the need for back-to-back meetings and allows more time for deep work. Protecting your team from distractions, Twist does away with availability status bubbles and stress-inducing notification dots. The goal of Twist is to redefine the future of work by promoting asynchronous communication instead of the constant pressure to respond immediately.
My work at Twist
While the concept of asynchronous communication may seem straightforward, building an app that truly facilitates it proved to be quite a challenge. Initially, our team embarked on developing Twist to meet Doist's internal needs. However, we quickly realized that we needed to take into account the diverse ways in which people communicate and collaborate, especially in contexts like remote work or team projects. With this in mind, our primary objective became creating a platform that not only enables effective communication but also fosters productivity.
As a member of the design team, my role was crucial in enhancing the user interface and experience of Twist on iOS and Android platforms. I conducted extensive research into user preferences and behaviors, ensuring that our design decisions aligned seamlessly with the feature set of the Web client. This involved exploring innovative design patterns, analyzing data, and rigorously testing prototypes.
Working on a product for years gives you the opportunity to refine its features and add some new ones. That's what happened with Twist. Over time, I got the chance to work on and improve several different facets of the application. I am especially proud of the cross-platform composer, which I believe has improved the overall user experience quite a bit. Additionally, we reworked the settings UI for the Web platform and it looks much more polished now. But what I think sets Twist apart is the smarter Inbox. It's a bit of a game-changer, making your work-life balance that much simpler. There were also lots of small quality-of-life improvements, but these bigger pieces are what I'm happiest with.
Lessons learned
Throughout my journey with Twist, I garnered invaluable insights into the nuances of product design, specifically in crafting a user-friendly messaging app catered toward effective asynchronous communication. I've come to understand that designing an app isn't simply about aesthetic appeal, but rather focusing on functionality, ease of use, and meeting the unique needs of the user.
As we refined Twist, I learned the significance of iterative improvements, the role of user feedback in shaping our decisions, and the importance of balancing innovative features with a simple, intuitive design. My experiences with Twist have undoubtedly shaped my perspective and approach to product design, emphasizing a user-centric mindset above all else.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my time working on Twist as a product designer was rich with learning and growth. Our aim to create a user-friendly messaging app that facilitated effective asynchronous communication was a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. This experience honed my design skills, particularly in understanding the user's needs, iterating based on feedback, and balancing innovation with simplicity. Twist stands as a testament to the power of dedicated collaboration and a user-centered approach in product design, embodying our vision of productivity over presence. As we continue to enhance Twist, I believe it will further revolutionize the way online teams communicate and collaborate.
