Don't open those emails, use Message Menus instead, says Slack

Today, a proliferation of enterprise software can mean users are constantly switching tasks, from one browser or application to another.

Slack, a cloud-based software tool, says that this trend is what motivated the move to bring everything into one platform with the launch Message Menus.  

Message Menus are clickable drop-down menus that can be added to messages in Slack. With Message Menus, Slack aims to help users get more work done without opening any emails.

The goal is to enable users to complete complex tasks by selecting from a list of options to complete an activity or workflow.

Users can navigate quickly through many options, whether that is managing sales leads from your company database, triaging tickets from your support system, or booking meeting rooms.

Message Menus aim to help developers build applications with more robust functionality that allow for more nuanced decision making.

Through Message Menus, applications builders can better guide users toward desired behaviours - precise actions, according to Slack.

In addition, developers can build five types of message menu.

The first are static menus that present a set of fixed choices. Another type of menu are live menus that load dynamically based on your server's response.

User menus list the members of your Slack team and conversation menus list your channels (public and private) and DMs. And lastly, channel menus provide public channels for users.

For end-users, the launch of Message Menus means that they can complete complex workflows within Slack, which aims to reduce context switching between applications and tasks.