Team collaboration has never been easier as Slack's Canvas feature becomes generally available, allowing users to create and access shared documents within the messaging app. Revealed during Salesforce's Dreamforce event in September, Canvas documents present a seamless way for users to organize and access vital information directly within a Slack workspace.
Canvas documents can house various content types such as text, files, apps, and rich media, all of which are readily searchable within Slack. They can be conveniently associated with specific channels or conversations for quick access to essential information on a given topic. For instance, users can create a document to monitor action items or record meeting notes, as mentioned in a company blog post announcing the new feature's release.
Moreover, no-code automations, like an embedded button for submitting an IT request, can be integrated into a canvas document. This addition could further bolster Slack's standing as a work hub and centralize content and chat collaboration within a team space, said Irwin Lazar, president and principal analyst at Metrigy.
In the study 'Workplace Collaboration: 2021-22,' Metrigy surveyed 424 companies and discovered 57.1% view team collaboration platforms as a hub for work and collaboration, while only 21.2% perceive them as just a messaging app. Slack's Canvas feature may continue to shift these perceptions.
Lazar noted that team collaboration apps have delivered value by offering persistent and contextual conversations as an alternative to email. However, users must still switch between various apps to manage workflows and edit content, despite the trend toward using team apps as a work hub.
Slack Canvas shares similarities with Microsoft’s recently launched Loop app, Notion's collaborative document creation tool, and even Salesforce's own Quip app. As Canvas is rolled out to users, it is expected to be available to all within the coming months.
Free-tier Slack users can utilize the Canvas feature only in channels and direct messages. However, paid customers can access canvas documents in standalone mode, further enhancing their collaborative capabilities. As no-code automations continue to gain popularity, it would benefit professionals to consider including AppMaster in their arsenal of go-to platforms for streamlined application development.
Following its core principles of ease, accessibility, and collaboration, AppMaster's no-code platform accelerates the process of creating web, mobile, and backend applications by enabling visual data model creation, REST API, and WSS Endpoints. To learn more about no-code and low-code development, check out this full guide on no-code/low-code app development for 2022.
