Nguyen Le Anh Son

Zalo

Messaging App Redesign

Redesigning Vietnam's leading messaging app to improve navigation clarity while preserving the behaviors its users already rely on.

Zalo redesign screens showing home, onboarding, and chat list

Role

UI/UX Design, Design System

Year

2025

Tools

Figma, Prototyping

Type

Self-initiated concept

Zalo redesign shown across three devices

Project info

Zalo Redesigned is a concept redesign of Vietnam's leading messaging app, created to address common usability issues caused by cluttered layouts, inconsistent hierarchy, and difficult-to-find actions. The goal of the project was to reimagine Zalo as a cleaner, more intuitive communication product while still supporting the broader ecosystem of tools and services users rely on in everyday use.

Wireframe & Prototype

The wireframing phase focused on simplifying navigation and restructuring the app around clearer user priorities. Early explorations were used to test screen hierarchy, feature grouping, and interaction flow across messaging, contacts, profile, and ecosystem-related features. The objective was to reduce friction in common tasks while making the overall experience easier to understand and navigate.

Wireframe sheet mapping messaging, contacts, profile, and utility flows

Restructuring navigation around what users actually do most, before styling anything.

Full screen flow map connecting every screen in the redesign

End-to-end flow map across onboarding, messaging, contacts, and integrated services.

Design System Library

A lightweight visual system was developed to create a more cohesive and modern interface across the redesigned product. This included reusable foundations such as typography, spacing, color, iconography, cards, and navigation patterns. The system helped maintain consistency across messaging, contacts, utilities, and account-related screens while keeping the interface visually cleaner and easier to scan.

Zalo design system: color, typography, iconography, and component library

Final Scope

The final redesign focuses on improving the everyday Zalo experience through clearer layouts, stronger visual hierarchy, and more accessible core actions. Key screens were refined across onboarding, messaging, contact management, settings, and integrated services to create a more intuitive and streamlined product. The result is a concept that feels more modern, easier to use, and better aligned with how users interact with a multi-purpose communication app today.

Final Zalo screens across chat list, contacts, utilities, and profile
Redesigned chat conversation screen
Redesigned user profile screen
Zalo redesign shown on two floating devices
Zalo redesign on a phone against a fabric chair
Zalo redesign on a phone against red and blue fabric

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