Collaboration on Fernando Ruiz

Conflict Resolution in Collaboration: UI and UX

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

info Quick Definition

Conflict Resolution occurs when two or more users attempt to perform contradictory actions on the same object at the same time (e.g., one deletes a paragraph while the other is editing it). In collaborative product design, our goal is for the user never to see a “Sync Error” notification if we can avoid it.

The Challenge of Multi-user Applications

In modern applications like Google Docs, Figma, or Notion, real-time collaboration is a basic feature. However, behind the magic lies extremely complex conflict resolution logic. If two people save different versions, who wins? Is anyone’s work lost?

CRDT Basics for Product Designers

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

info Quick Definition

CRDTs (Conflict-free Replicated Data Types) are data structures that allow multiple users to make simultaneous, independent changes that, when synchronized, automatically reach the same final state without the need for a central authority or manual conflict resolution. It is the technology that makes modern real-time collaboration possible.

Why the Designer should know what a CRDT is?

Traditionally, in web applications, the server was “the single source of truth.” If you wanted to change something, you asked the server for permission and waited for its “OK” response.

Real-Time Presence Modeling: Collaborative UX

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

info Quick Definition

Presence Modeling is the set of visual and functional indicators that communicate to a user who else is with them in the same digital space (e.g., a Notion page or a Figma file) and exactly what they are doing at that precise moment.

The Magic of Not Being Alone: The Feeling of Presence

A few years ago, applications were lonely: you worked, saved, and closed. Today, product applications are multiplayer. Presence modeling is not just an aesthetic ornament; it is a critical communication tool that prevents users from making mistakes (like editing the same object at the same time) and fosters fluid collaboration.