by Samra Anees
Block Kit Simplifies Your App-Making Journey
Slack is releasing two new tools to help the seamless creation of apps: Block Kit and Block Kit Builder. Block Kit is a UI framework, while Block Kit Builder is a live prototyping tool for coding Slack apps.
Block Kit is based on five basic stackable blocks—section, content, image, divider and actions. It gives you the power to choose how and where to place and stack the blocks around the page, in the way that makes the most sense for your users. You can shuffle around the blocks and play with the interface using Block Kit, or you can use Slack’s templates via Block Kit Builder to save some time designing the app.
What Does This Mean for Slack?
The Block Kit and Block Kit Builder tools aim to be accessible to people with little to no coding skills or background, and will attract more developers to Slack by making the app design journey more seamless. With this move, Slack is not only investing in app performance across Slack platforms, but overall it’s a move towards better workflow and user experience. This is a tool that is increasing Slack’s functionality while keeping the ease of the user in mind.
Challenging Microsoft
With Block Kit, Slack is challenging Microsoft for leadership in third party app development. We’d note that Microsoft offers App Studio for Microsoft Teams but Slack Block Kit is more focused on making it easier to make new compelling apps.
Bottom Line
The introduction of Block Kit and Block Kit Builder is a move that takes Slack towards a more holistic platform. This is the kind of move we’d expect from giants like Microsoft or Google, but instead is coming from the communication-based work hub. Because they have such a dynamic product that allows for collaboration, communication and an overall centralized work hub, Slack noticed formatting issues arose for their users. Slack has done a great job of addressing and fixing these issues with Block Kit and Block Kit Builder, and shown that they understand and value their user base. With the release of Block Kit and Block Kit Builder, Slack is demonstrating attentiveness to the customer journey while enhancing the functionality and efficiency of their product.