“Slack” Software Research

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What is slack?

Slack is a messaging app for business that connects people to the information they need. By bringing people together to work as one unified team, Slack transforms the way organizations communicate.

Slack. “What Is Slack?” Slack Help Center, slack.com/help/articles/115004071768-What-is-Slack-. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Software delivery

You can use Slack in your web browser or mobile phone. You also have the option to download the desktop version to easily access, interact, and receive notifications.

who is the founder?

Stewart Butterfield
Image source: slack.com

Stewart Butterfield is an entrepreneur, designer, and technology leader.

The CEO and co-founder of Slack. He and his team launched the application in 2013.

Co-founded Flickr in 2003.

He focuses on collaboration, communication, sharing, and storing information in the tech world.

who are the designers?

Anna Niess
Image source: linkedin.com

Anna leads as an individual contributor and coaches teams on customer improvement designs and new product features.

Zack Sultan
Image source: linkedin.com

Zack is a product designer in the messaging department and helps teams communicate effectively.

… and most importantly: YOU!

Slack co-designs with their customers bringing them into every stage of the design process. They made the effort to work with designers, engineers, researchers, and product managers to create rough prototypes and make improvements.

software changes

On March 18th 2020, the Slack team launched their new software update. Some of these changes include:

Channel section

Starting a new message with the compose button

Customized and collapsible folders to organize channels, messages, and apps

Taking action with shortcuts over context switching

Searching channels, conversations, files, and organizations with a single navigation bar (moved to the top)

Patents assigned to slack

There are many many patents assigned to Slack, so I’ve listed the first and the most recent.

Patent title: Method, apparatus, and computer program product for installing third party applications requiring variable host address identification in a group-based communication system

Patent number: 10592225

Abstract:

  • Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products that provide for an improved and more efficient system of networked computing devices
  • Enable client devices to install integrations of a third party application
  • Enable a user of the client device to modify the host address identification
  • The group-based communication system supports the creation of a blueprint application
  • The blueprint row stores variable host address identifications

Type: Grant

Filed: May 11, 2018

Date of Patent: March 17, 2020

Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc.

Inventors: Liza Gurtin, Sachin Ranchod, Elizabeth Catherine Harrigan, Jammie Mountz, John Agan

Patent title: Communication apparatus configured to manage user identification queries and render user identification interfaces within a group-based communication system

Patent number: 11228871

Abstract:

  • Communication between two people associated with different organizations
  • A user associated with a communication platform may submit a request to the communication platform to generate an invitation
  • The user may provide the invitation to another user directly
  • Responsive to receiving an indication that the second user has accepted the invitation
  • The communication platform may update respective user interfaces to include the means of communication
  • The communication platform may process messages and/or data between the first user and the second user

Type: Grant

Filed: February 8, 2021

Date of Patent: January 11, 2022

Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc.

Inventors: Shanan Delp, Christopher Sullivan, Jaron Moore, Kevin Marshall

Sources

Slack. “What Is Slack?” Slack Help Center, slack.com/help/articles/115004071768-What-is-Slack-. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Zack Sultan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacksultan/

Anne Niess’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneniess/

Slack. “Introducing a Simpler, More Organized Slack.” Slack, 18 Mar. 2020, slack.com/blog/productivity/simpler-more-organized-slack. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Slack. “Designing Teamwork: How Our Customers Helped Shape the Future of Slack.” Slack, 18 Mar. 2020, slack.com/blog/collaboration/designing-the-future-of-slack-with-customers#:~:text=Anna%20Niess%20and%20Zack%20Sultan%20are%20designers%20at%20Slack.. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

“Patents Assigned to Slack Technologies, Inc. – Justia Patents Search.” Patents.justia.com, patents.justia.com/assignee/slack-technologies-inc. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

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About the author

Amy Gil