'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
How I organize my Slack workspaces with custom themes (and you can too)
A new Theme for my Butterfly Effect Workspace.
I've been using Slack for a long time. Because I have multiple clients that require it for collaboration, I'm frequently switching between workspaces -- which means it can be hard to distinguish which team I'm dealing with.
I work very quickly, so I need to know which client I'm talking to at a glance: I depend on visuals to clue me in on who I'm about to chat with. Fortunately, Slack has a built-in feature to make this easier: custom themes.
Also: 4 Slack alternatives for open-source collaboration
The feature lets you create a color palette of your own, or opt for Slack to create one for you. You can also add a window gradient for an artistic look.
To start, you'll need a valid Slack account and the Slack desktop app. While you cannot create a custom theme in the mobile version of the app, when you apply a custom theme in the desktop app, it will appear in the mobile version.
How to organize your Slack workspaces with custom themes
1. Open Slack Preferences
Open Slack and then open the preferences window by clicking File > Preferences (or using the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+,).
2. Go to Custom Themes
Next, click Themes in the left sidebar. In the pop-up that appears, click the Custom Theme tab just below the Color Mode (which allows you to switch between Light, Dark, and System).
You can also select from one of the preset Slack themes.
3. Create your theme
On the Custom Theme tab, you can create a new theme by clicking one of the four options (System Navigation, Selected Items, Presence Indication, and Notifications) and then altering each color. When you change an option, it will appear in the main Slack window in real time.
Continue changing the color scheme until you like what you see. I would recommend enabling the Gradient feature, as the theme will look much better.
Also: These 5 work-from-home essentials seriously upgraded my desk
If you aren't feeling terribly creative, click the Surprise Me button, and Slack with automatically create a random theme for you.
Here's where the magic happens.
4. Share your theme
Once you've created your theme, you can click Share to copy the hex number for each of your colors and share them with your team. For example, my ZDNET Slack theme colors are #A9EDEF, #F4DAFF, #2392A2, and #C474D3.
Once you've finished customizing your theme, close the Preferences window. You'll be prompted to save the change.
Also: 4 AI tools that help me get more done at work
Your Slack workspace will follow your new theme. You can then go to your other workspaces and create themes that are different from the one you just designed. I hope this helps you make Slack more efficient and effective for your workflow.