Commons

The shift to remote work created a polarization in communication channels. Teams were forced to choose between asynchronous text (Slack/Email) which is low friction but lacks nuance, tone, and speed (typing is 7-10x slower than speaking), or synchronous video (Zoom/Google Meet) which offers high fidelity but high friction—requiring scheduling links and inducing "Zoom Fatigue" due to the performative nature of being on camera.

Distributed teams lost the connective tissue of the office—the spontaneous, rapid-fire problem solving that happens between meetings. The user pain point was clear: there was no middle ground between these two extremes.

Commons was designed to be an "Audio-First, Low-Friction" environment. The solution allows users to see who is available and "tap to talk" instantly. By removing the requirement for video, we lowered the barrier to entry for conversation. By integrating deep into the existing workflow (Slack), we removed the friction of adoption.

Key UX wins included Presence Awareness (visualizing the "office" to see who is active without checking a calendar), Frictionless Entry (one-click entry into rooms with no links or waiting rooms), and Contextual Collaboration (screen sharing and note-taking features that support the audio without demanding visual dominance).

Slack Integration: Single sign-on and deep linking to reduce onboarding friction.

- Audio Rooms: Persistent channels for "Water Cooler," "Stand-up," or "War Room" conversations.

- Screen Share & Notes: Collaboration tools that layer on top of audio for context without demanding visual dominance.

- Availability Toggles: Granular control over "Do Not Disturb" to prevent the system from becoming intrusive.

The architecture focuses on a Hub-and-Spoke model:

.1 -The Lobby (Hub): A dashboard showing all teammates, their status (In a meeting, Free, Busy), and active rooms. This provides the presence awareness that recreates the "office" feeling.

.2 - The Room (Spoke): The active conversation interface where tools (screen share, notes) are accessed via a bottom sheet or sidebar. This keeps the audio-first experience uncluttered while making collaboration tools easily accessible when needed.

Commons scaled to hundreds of teams including startups and enterprise clients. Average conversation length settled at ~4 minutes, validating the hypothesis that users wanted quick syncs rather than 30-minute blocks. Users who installed the Slack integration showed significantly higher retention, demonstrating that reducing friction at the point of adoption was critical to success.

Designing for Invisible Interfaces: Designing for audio-first means the UI must support the conversation, not distract from it. This required a shift in thinking about what "good design" means when the primary interaction is invisible.

I learned that the biggest barrier to remote communication isn't technology, it's social anxiety. The design had to reassure users that it was socially acceptable to interrupt a colleague. This meant creating clear visual cues about availability and making the act of joining a conversation feel as natural as tapping someone on the shoulder.