Brainstorm

Technical Goals

• Universal Mail Cache (based off MailCore) called LetterBox
• A usable automation interface, complete enough to not throw roadblocks.
• A well-designed plugin API that allows for additions and modifications to the application and triggered actions.
• A documented data storage format, for applications and workflows that need access to the email but not the app’s GUI.
• Spotlight Integration
• Quicksilver Integration
• Optional Address Book Integration

UI Goals

To become the distinct, powerful email client it wants to be, Letters.app does not only need to be technically powerful, but needs to have an equally powerful UI.

• Gmail-like Mail Threading
• Proper Mailing list handling
• Proper in-line replying to messages
• Proper keyboard navigation
• format=flowed quotes system
• The common and simpler needs of developers and power users should be handled first, while innovation happens in plugins.

Wireframes: early drafts

A few very early wireframe drafts, made to collect the mailing list feedbacks:

• Viewer window wireframe
• Windows draft wireframes
• Sidebar draft wireframes
• Threads draft wireframes

See also:

• Joachim Bondo’s post: Beginning the UI Design