The Slack interface is solid. And the sound — nice catch. But I think you’ve missed out on Slack’s biggest differentiator: it’s about feel more than it is about look. Slack is a series of interactions that more closely resemble a dialogue, rather than a set of static screens. It’s thoughtful, it’s proactive, and it grows on you over time.

The large majority of desktop and mobile apps out there right now have been designed fairly quickly, usually following one of two processes: 1) Agile: focus on the MVP and grow, which leaves no room for beautiful (or sometimes invisible) nuance. 2) Screen-driven: often the greatest designers on earth still get it wrong when their objective is squarely focused on the visuals they create, rather than the flow they establish.

One one hand, that’s the problem with design and UX right now — it’s measured by the visual assets it generates, rather than the systemic intelligence it produces. On the other hand, that’s why it’s a great time to be in this business: across the industry, the bar is still fairly low if you want to create something great.