AOL Mail is perhaps the most important product for AOL as a company. In the beginning of 2007, our team released the current version of webmail, and part of this release was the inclusion of our "endless scrolling" model (no pagination). It vastly improved the mail reading experience (rollover delete, etc), incorporated panels, and also improved the contacts and calendar experiences.
Contribution
Throughout the years (starting Sept 2006 - present), I have worked on many features within AOL Mail: mail headers, settings, panels, calendar, mail filtering, and the "basic/HTML" version of webmail. I have worked closely with all the developers for every project that I worked on. Aside from designing the UI, I have also conducted visual QA to make sure that design specifications are met, and coordinated between the visual designers and QA. It's our team's philosophy to cultivate design-driven products and encourage close collaboration across all functions.
Email header
Mail filter (in Standard and Basic HTML format)
Video: search, create a filter, and edit a filter (pw: video)
Through projects that I have worked on, I learned about the different aspects of email as a communication tool. I first thought email was "just email." However, working on this team opened up my eyes to the power of communication in this social-driven web 2.0 world.
Highlights
When I first started work on AOL Mail, I thought I would not enjoy working on an email product. But I learned tremendously about all aspects of design.
I was promoted to UI Designer (from Associate) while I was working on this product.
Personally, I have matured as a UI Designer while working on AOL Mail. I feel that I have been challenged, and pushed to move to the next level. The constant feedback loop within our small design team definitely contributed to this growth. It also helped me to be more confident as a designer.
Working closely with the developers has also definitely helped ensure the quality of our designs.
