Designing email functionality for craftsmen

Craftsmen who use ToolTime rely on it as an all-in-one tool for managing their business operations – from storing customer contact data and overseeing projects to generating quotes and invoices. Previously, these documents were limited to PDF formats, which users could only download or print.

In alignment with ToolTime’s mission to digitalize the craftsmen business, the product team identified an opportunity to simplify daily workflows by building an email feature. Through user feedback, many craftsmen expressed frustration with having to download documents to email them, describing the process as tedious and outdated.

To create a frictionless experience, I designed the email functionality using a modal-based interface, accessible from both the detail and list views across all document types. I chose this pattern after observing how users navigated the app and prioritized minimizing disruptions to their workflows.

By automatically attaching the document to the email and allowing users to send emails to multiple recipients, they can now send an email in seconds instead of going through multiple steps.

Initial user feedback revealed concerns about losing control over email formatting. To address this, we introduced basic formatting options like bold, italic, and underline, giving them more control over how their messages look like.

Users also mentioned that their emails lacked brand visibility, raising concerns about customer trust. In response, we added company logos to the email templates to ensure each email reflected their brand.

When it became clear that receiving replies within ToolTime wasn’t feasible due to technical and time constraints, I collaborated with engineers to develop an alternative solution that met user needs without delaying the launch of the feature.

I proposed a solution where users would receive a copy of their sent emails in their inbox. This allowed them to track and manage replies through their preferred email client while maintaining a professional communication record. This allowed us to keep our focus on delivering value to users quickly.

Today, over 3,000 users send more than 56,000 emails monthly via ToolTime. By integrating this functionality, we eliminated unnecessary steps and helped users transition to more digital and efficient customer communication.

Delivering the MVP required overcoming technical constraints, collaborating with a cross-functional team, and making trade-offs to balance speed and usability. While the feature has been impactful, I see opportunities for further improvements:

• Adding support for multiple document attachments.
• Enabling file uploads for custom documents.
• Integrating customer communication directly into ToolTime.

Working on this project challenged me to balance tight deadlines with technical contraints and user needs, teaching me the importance of prioritization and compromise in a fast-paced environment like a startup.

This experience taught me how impactful thoughtful design decisions can be – not just in simplifying workflows but also in helping users stay focused and organized. Hearing how the feature enabled more seamless communication and elevated the professionalism of customer interactions was incredibly rewarding.