Threads' demo environment for new users

Ever feel like you’re getting lost in online conversations? Threads is designed to cut through the noise and bring all of your discussions from different tools into a single dashboard. Phew.

Upon creating an account, users are presented with a few options to get started. They can either try out some of the functionality (like start a thread or invite members) or check out a demo that shows the product in action.

Selecting the demo opens up a new window for users.

Back in the main product, Threads has a left-side vertical menu like all of our favorite familiar inboxes. Hovering over different items (like the star next to the General folder) elicits a tooltip explaining the feature.

Creating a thread also feels familiar— like sending an email—with a To, Subject, and Body of the thread.

What makes this really good UX:

• Sometimes it can be hard to see all the benefits of a new product right out of the chute. By offering a demo environment, new users can poke around and get a feel for what it’s like to interact with multiple threads and teammates.
• The demo environment includes a welcome modal that encourages users to try things out. It also directs users back to the actual product by indicating that some features are disabled.
• To help users get started on their first thread, Threads offers some best practices in the To, Subject, and Body text fields. This guiding text encourages users to write something meaningful in these fields (rather than “Hey” as a subject line).