We have been experimenting with the way in which users interact with their email inbox and want your feedback. Could we schedule a 20-30 minute user research call with you soon? Reply to this email, or schedule directly with me here.
We’ve been thinking about how users will interact with their email in the future. In particular we’re thinking about how AI agents and automation tools will change the way that people manage their email. We believe that (for now at least) most users will continue to want a proper graphical user interface (GUI), rather than relying on purely text / chat interactions.
One approach we’re exploring is to add a text input to the email inbox. This is a flexible input device that can help a user search through pre-built tools (like “Send a Slack message” or “Update a field in Attio”), while also allowing for free-form text input which our highly capable AI agent can interpret and take action on.
This allows us to combine some of the functionality of a traditional menu or command palette, with the flexibility of an AI agent chat and while retaining the full interface of an email client. Our pre-built tools also come with their own UI to help users make decisions and check that they’re taking the right actions, rather than relying entirely on the AI. We enable you to preview a draft email or slack message before its sent, and doublecheck the fields that are being added to the CRM.
You can see a demo here
We’d love to hear your feedback to the above. Does it make sense? Are there other ways in which you’d want to interact with AI features inside your email? Drop me an email at [email protected] with your thoughts!
Thanks,
Team Housecat