macOS Desktop App

Whimsical

As Whimsical evolves from a simple flowcharting tool into a hub for product teams, we noticed that some experiences we wanted to offer necessitated moving out of the browser. That led us to build a native application for macOS.

Tab design
Tab design

Split view

One of the desktop-optimized features is splitview, which allows users to open multiple files or projects simultaneously.

This enables a variety of workflows that are inconvenient or impossible in other tools, such as:

  • Moderating a sticky note brainstorm while having your agenda & notes on the side
  • Peeking into a diagram momentarily while reading a requirements doc
  • Keeping a personal notepad or to-do list open while working on other things
  • Dragging content from one file to another
Using split view to open an embedded board

When dragging across panes, the gap between panes collapses
When dragging across panes, the gap between panes collapses

Panes can be created and manipulated in various ways. Dragging a tab into a pane will result in a split.

A tab can be dropped on either side of a pane
A tab can be dropped on either side of a pane

Panes can be resized to fit the content. This is especially helpful when using Docs beside Boards, as the inherent responsiveness of Docs allows them to be used at thin dimensions.

Dragging the gap to adjust proportions
Dragging the gap to adjust proportions

Contextual menus and keyboard shortcuts, such as ⌥-clicking a link, will produce a new split. We want it to be easy to get in and out of a split as effortlessly as possible.

Contextual menus in tabs
Contextual menus in tabs

Result

We’ve just started releasing this feature to beta participants, so it’s still pretty early to tell what the future holds. Internally we’ve been dog-fooding this feature for months and it’s become a convenient part of our workflow.