Google Messages
Transforming the voice messaging experience
Voice messaging was gaining traction among users, but our experience felt clunky and uninspired. Holding the mic button was awkward, controls were hard to use, and the visual design was outdated. I was asked to lead a brand-new team focused on Voice & Video Messaging, with the goal of creating an experience that felt modern, accessible, and expressive.
As the lead designer, I owned the vision, roadmap, and end-to-end design for this strategic new investment area. I partnered with product, research, and engineering to take the product from discovery to launch.
Area Lead
UX Designer
Art Director
ROLE
TEAM
Product Manager
User Researcher
Eng Team
PRESS
Please note: Due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), I can't disclose specific details, design processes, or metrics of certain projects. Reach out to me for more details hello@alexschor.com
Opportunity & Goal
The rise of voice messaging was a strategic opportunity: most competitors had yet to deliver a truly elegant experience.
Our goal was to create an accessible, expressive, and fast voice messaging system that could set Google Messages apart—especially in emerging markets and hands-free environments.
Process
Conducted interviews to understand user habits and frustrations
Ran usability and accessibility testing on early prototypes
Facilitated ideation and created a design framework for controls, feedback, and visuals
Delivered high-fidelity mockups with refined motion and visual polish
Collaborated with engineers through implementation to ensure quality
PROBLEM
Voice messaging was growing, but the experience needed work
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Through UXR, we’ve seen that many users are frustrated with this user journey: 31% of voice senders in the US and 24% in India find it awkward to have to press and hold, especially for long recordings.
In addition, those with mobility issues struggled to hold down the icon. -
Our existing experience did not have an option to stop and start recording. Users found this very inconvenient, especially when you get interrupted and have to start the whole thing over.
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The swipe to cancel gesture and the scrubbing in the compose row was temperamental and too small to use, often causing accident cancels.
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The mic icon for recording a voice message sat right above the mic icon in the keyboard, which was for text to speech.
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The visual design looked more like an outdated file type than a compassionate note between you and your bestie. It was lacking delight and a representation of the personal nature of a voice note.
UX Principles
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Simplicity in core interactions
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Accessibility-first layout and controls
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Visual and emotional clarity to encourage expression
Design Solution
A new module introduced hands-free voice message recording, enhancing the user experience with a dynamic waveform and intuitive controls that allow for greater precision in recordings.
Additionally, noise cancellation capabilities have been integrated, enabling users to comfortably capture their messages even in noisy environments.
Ways to record
The new design is future-proof and scalable, making it easy to add new features such as themes and GenAI effects.
Discoverability, speed, and accessibility improved by adding multiple entry points.
Add your mood
Research participant
“This will change the entire experience for me and for the receiver. Right now voice messaging is robotic. It doesn’t have any feeling. If I can add feeling into it with emojis and pictures, it would be wonderful. The receiver can get a live experience of that message.”
Play it back
PRESS HIGHLIGHT