Inbox: three layouts to pick from
Usability round, step 3. Each option is drawn inside the real app shell at 1440 and 390 wide, on the six text roles and the app's own colours. Pick one (or say which parts of which); nothing is rebuilt before you do.
What is off now
From the apple-design review of today's Inbox (shots of 2026-09-27, the list, an open WhatsApp conversation and the phone).
- HighA row is four lines: name and time, preview, channel and reply window, assignee. Nine conversations fit on a 1000 px screen.
- HighGreen means four things: Live, "Can reply for 9h" on every row, the green bar over the conversation, and the WhatsApp badge. On 155 rows it says everything is fine, so nothing stands out.
- High"Needs a reply" and its count sit in a menu that opens when you hover the side rail. The list only says "Inbox · All 155".
- HighOn a phone the conversation gets about a quarter of the screen: 230 px of header and status, 300 px of notice and composer.
- MediumThe reply window is said three times on one screen: over the conversation, under the composer, and in the row.
- MediumKeyboard hints appear twice on the desktop and on the phone, which has no keyboard.
- Medium"Unassigned" is written on every row, and a visitor with no name shows a 40-character id.
- MediumThe list header mixes three sizes in one line, with "Live" floating in the middle; the phone stacks a page bar on top of the tab bar.
Calm list
Today's two panes, cleaned up. Two-line rows; colour only when something needs you; one status line over the conversation.
1440 · an open WhatsApp conversation
390 · the list
- Rows: name and time, then the last message. A chip appears only for an exception: the reply window closing within 2 hours, closed, a failed send, the AI paused.
- The person assigned shows as initials at the end of the row; unassigned rows show nothing.
- A visitor with no name reads "Website visitor" and the end of their id.
- Over the conversation: one line with the reply window, who is replying and "Pause". It turns amber under 2 hours.
- Composer: Reply, Note and Template as one small switch; the keyboard hint only on a desktop.
- Trade-off: the views stay in the rail menu, so "Needs a reply" is still one click away.
Views in view
A views column like Mail's mailboxes, always on screen at desktop width, with live counts. On the phone the views become a row of chips.
1440 · "Needs a reply" chosen
390 · the list, views as chips
- The counts the rail menu already has (Needs a reply, Assigned to me, Unassigned, AI paused, Failed sends) are visible all day.
- Rows and the conversation are as in A.
- Trade-off: 216 px go to the column, so the conversation is narrower. Below 1280 px wide the column folds back into the menu.
- The rail's Inbox menu becomes a duplicate at desktop width; it stays for smaller screens.
Reply queue
The list leads with the conversations waiting on you, oldest wait first, and shows how long each has waited. The contact's details sit beside the conversation.
1440 · the queue, a conversation and its details
390 · a conversation: most of the screen is the conversation
- Two sections: "Needs a reply" (sorted by how long they have waited, the wait in amber) and "Everything else" (latest first).
- The details panel shows the channel, number, lead stage, tags and the owner without opening anything.
- Phone: "Needs a reply" and "All" as a two-way switch; in a conversation the header is one line and the status one more.
- Trade-off: the list needs two reads (the queue, then the rest), and the details panel takes 300 px, so it closes below 1360 px wide.