Modal · Feature discovery
Asana’s feature modal looks fun and reads well
Asana introduces its Inbox with a feature modal that pairs three one-line functions with an animated preview, so users learn it at a glance.
Screenshot added to the library in October 2022; its exact capture date wasn’t recorded, and the product may look different today. Write-up reviewed 22 Oct 2026.
At the time of the screenshot, Asana explained its Inbox with a feature modal headed "Inbox is your central hub". Three options on the left, each with a small illustration, name what the Inbox is for: stay up to date on your team’s work, react to updates in real time, and invite your team to start collaborating. On the right, an animated preview of the Inbox shows task updates and comments arriving. Apart from the heading and those three lines, the modal has almost no copy.
Why it works
- Almost no copy: beyond the heading, the modal uses only the three function titles, so it can be read in seconds.
- Visuals that teach: the animated Inbox preview shows each function in use, which helps visual learners and everyone else too.
- One modal instead of a tour: users see what the Inbox does in one place rather than being moved between screens by tooltips.
More on this pattern: UI modals and new feature onboarding.
