Building Slack’s simplified layout mode

Slack is a powerful hub for work and communication, but its dense and complex interface can be a barrier for users with motor, vision, and cognitive disabilities. To help more people use Slack effectively, we introduced Simplified Layout Mode on desktop and web. This preference transforms Slack into a single-column layout that is easier to navigate and has fewer distractions.

In this session, we will demo Simplified Layout Mode and discuss its evolution from an accommodation request by an ALS advocacy group to a feature that benefits multiple audiences. Along the way, we’ll share specific examples of how its design was shaped by our partnerships with disabled and neurodivergent users.

Attendees will learn ...

• How to collect and synthesize feedback from different groups of users with disabilities over the course of a feature’s development
• How to collaborate with internal employee disability groups to get feedback and build momentum around a feature