PostMail (in person)

Inspiration

The idea for PostMail came from the desire to bring back the tactile experience of sorting through physical mail, but with the convenience of a digital inbox. With the constant stream of emails, managing an inbox can feel overwhelming. We wanted to recreate the joy of physically sorting through mail, while introducing a modern, efficient way of organizing digital communications.

What it does

PostMail transforms your inbox into a visual, stack-based interface, reminiscent of sorting through a physical pile of mail. Users can swipe and sort emails just like paper, making it easy to declutter, organize, and prioritize messages in a way that feels natural and satisfying. To save time and reduce overwhelm, PostMail also uses AI to summarize emails into concise, easy-to-read cards, so users can get the gist of each message without opening them individually. It's a visually engaging and intelligent approach to email management that helps users regain control over their inbox.

How we built it

We designed PostMail using Figma, focusing on creating an intuitive and user-friendly interface. Figma’s powerful design tools allowed us to prototype the sorting and organizing features, simulating the physical process of handling mail. We integrated interactive elements like swiping functionality to make sorting as intuitive as possible, and focused on making the interface clean, responsive, and visually appealing.

Challenges we ran into

One of the major challenges was translating the tactile process of sorting physical mail into a digital interface. We had to ensure the app felt satisfying and functional while maintaining a balance between aesthetics and usability. Prototyping dynamic interactions in Figma also presented difficulties, as it was challenging to simulate a fully interactive experience without a back-end system. Additionally, we encountered hurdles in user testing to refine the design and make sure it resonated with a wide audience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of how we were able to create a visually intuitive and interactive email sorting experience. The design is simple yet effective, and we were able to simulate a fully interactive UI in Figma that allowed us to conduct valuable user testing. We also successfully combined nostalgia with modern tech, offering a unique solution for email organization.

What we learned

Through this project, we deepened our understanding of user experience design and the importance of making interfaces feel natural and intuitive. We learned how to balance aesthetics with functionality, especially when simulating a physical process in a digital environment. Additionally, we improved our skills in prototyping with Figma and understanding how users interact with visual elements.

What's next for PostMail

We hope to expand the concept beyond email into other forms of digital organization, such as managing files or documents.

Built With

• figma