That Can Be Vibe Coded · Episode 01
Slack threads, reorganized as folders
A useful Slack thread can vanish the moment the channel moves on. This independent concept keeps active conversations visible by nesting them under their channel and giving each one a clear state.
This is an independent UX concept. Slack did not commission this work and isn't affiliated with Rigoris.
The problem
The thread didn't disappear. Its context did.
Once replies move into a thread, the channel keeps moving. Slack's Threads view gathers those conversations in one place, but the feed is still organized around recent activity. That works for catching up. It's weaker when the conversation represents ongoing work that needs to be found again tomorrow.
A product launch channel might contain a copy review, a blocked SDK issue, a pricing decision, and a finished design task. Those threads have different states, but the interface mostly tells you which one received a reply. You have to reopen each conversation to reconstruct what still needs attention.
The coded fix
Give conversations a place and a state
The redesign borrows the mental model of folders without changing the core interaction. Threads stay inside Slack. What changes is how people find them and understand their current state.
- 01
Keep threads with their channel
Each thread sits beneath the channel that created it. The hierarchy preserves context and gives people a familiar place to return to active work.
- 02
Show state before opening the conversation
Status badges and progress make blocked, active, reviewed, and finished threads distinguishable without relying on recency alone.
- 03
Keep the conversation one click away
Opening an item still reveals the thread and its replies. The concept adds structure around conversation instead of turning chat into a separate project tool.
Interactive prototype
Try the redesign
Toggle between Slack today and the folder concept. Open a nested thread, change its status, write a reply, and press Enter to send. Esc closes the current menu or thread view.
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On a phone, the desktop Slack window scrolls inside its own frame. The page itself stays fixed to the viewport.
What comes next
A coded concept is a hypothesis, not a result
This prototype proves the interaction can be made tangible. It does not prove that the hierarchy works for every Slack workspace. Before shipping it, we'd put the design in front of people who manage busy channels and test the parts most likely to break.
- Does the nested hierarchy still scan well when a channel has dozens of active threads?
- Who owns a thread status, and when should it change?
- Do teams need shared status labels or channel-specific ones?
- Which parts belong in Slack mobile instead of a desktop-width view?
Your product
A product flow can feel wrong before the data explains why.
We can isolate the friction, prototype the change, and test the smallest version worth building.