Hi I’m Skye! A product designer that transforms
research-driven designs into unforgettable journeys.
Slack Focus Rooms
Top 6 finalist, 4 designers, 2 days desgning
New York City
Feature Prototype
Slack Feature Designer • Top 6 Finalists
Many of those employees can often struggle with focus, emotional regulation, and managing work stress, especially with the constant stream of notifications and tasks.
(*srzrrrrr* cue record scratch)
Before I get into that, a bit on the hackathon itself.
From ideation to product demo, the journey lasted one week with 2 rounds of judging. And believe it or not, the hardest part was actually sizing the brainstorm to one clear objective.
Participants were essentially given this:
“Align with the theme and focus on solving an accessibility challenge—this can include digital or physical accessibility, policy changes, or any other relevant area.”
And that was it. Not much there to help narrow down on what the hackathon hosts were looking forward to, but it wasn’t nothing. After more or less 4 hours of debate (small conversations and friendly bickering are unimportant), the final decision came down to what is known as, Slack Focus Rooms.
This feature is an “AI-powered solution integrated directly into our main communication platform—Slack—that offers emotional and productivity support, helping them manage stress and improve focus without the need for additional apps or distractions.”
① Accessibility: Enhances accessibility for employees with ADHD by integrating emotional and focus management tools into Slack, reducing barriers to their success.
② Innovation: Transforms Slack into a holistic well-being platform, combining AI-driven emotional check-ins, task prioritization, and productivity management to address ADHD-specific challenges.
③ AI Integration: Seamlessly integrate AI for real-time emotional and productivity support, using NLP to prioritize tasks, suggest breaks, and break down complex tasks, improving focus and well-being.
Not only does Slack Focus Rooms answer the question, “Is this feature accessible?”, it also encourages the themes: empathy, inclusivity, and value:
- Is there design empathy between the feature and target audience?
- Can this feature have real impact? Success with small and large communities?
- Does this feature address the barriers to accessibility with/and beyond the target persona?
Now that you get the gist of things, relax back in you seat, and let me take you through Slack Focus Rooms.
But...
Mia’s ADHD makes it hard for her to stay organized and focused on detailed-heavy tasks. This leaves her attention scattered and she missing multiple deadlines. Not only that, managing projects accoss multiple time zones adds to her stress. Mia’s also tried traditional time management tools but sadly none seem to be the right fit.
Ellie summarizes the previous campaign data and offers suggestions for the next steps in creating a new one.”
In addition that, her whole team loves that the new Mia is meeting deadlines consistently, and the quality of work being better than ever.”
...and scene!
For me this was one of the top three, most enjoyable hackathons I’ve ever participated in. And although Slack Focus Rooms wasn’t chosen as the project for next steps, I’m still honored as a Top 6 Finalist to have made it that far with just 1.5 days of designing components, scenes, and prototypes.
- Tim, Senior Director of Demo Studio
...panel judges, and my amazing fellow designers. Would not have done it without them fr fr (aka honestly).
| Oh dang, you’ve hit the end of the Slack Focus Rooms! But don’t worry, there’s so much more content waiting to be discovered! |