Designing a Seamless Outlook Add-In for Azure DevOps | Anarish Case Study

Overview

Create and manage Azure DevOps work items directly inside Outlook

Almo is an Outlook add-in designed to help professionals create and manage Azure DevOps work items effortlessly while working in their inbox. The goal was to enable users to convert emails into actionable tasks without switching platforms ensuring continuity of work, improved productivity, and reduced context switching.

Launch Time2 Month

Design To Code Success100%

Screens Made30+

Tools Used

Objectives

Solving Productivity Gaps in a Constrained Interface

Support with New Outlook:The existing add-in was built for the old Outlook experience and no longer aligned with Microsoft’s new interface patterns and technical standards.

Limited Interaction Space:New Outlook side panels provide very limited width, making information hierarchy and layout precision critical.

Form Overload:Work-item creation involved complex forms with multiple fields, making quick actions feel time-consuming.

Need of consistent UX: The classic interface lacked clear grouping, visual hierarchy, and modern UI behaviors.

Purpose and Direction

ALMO simplifies work item creation in Outlook.

Embedding work item creation directly into Outlook’s side panel:

Minimizing context switching between emails and task systems:

Simplifying complex forms into structured, easy-to-scan layouts:

Design Guidelines

Building a system that scales with complexity

The ALMO interface uses a modular design for form-heavy workflows. It prioritizes clarity and ease of use for both DevOps users and newcomers, reducing cognitive load and improving visual consistency.

UI Design

Bringing Ideas to Interface

With the foundation in place, we moved to high-fidelity design—bringing color, layout, and interaction together into a cohesive system that complements Outlook’s interface while staying true to the Finc brand.