Now, you can clear Gmail's clutter: Here's how
Google's Gmail emailing service offers a bunch of features but even after years of development and evolution, the product remains somewhat cluttered. This is why former Google designer took the clean-up job upon himself and built an extension called 'Simplify' that streamlines your Gmail significantly, giving it a simpler, cleaner look. Here's how you can use it.
Gmail's look has changed, but it still remains cluttered
Over the last 15 years of its existence, Gmail has improved a lot with AI-powered features and a beautiful material design-based interface. In fact, the design change was introduced just a few months back, but the new look doesn't do much for the clutter. There are so many added elements that the main feature fades away - emails.
Now, there is a plugin to fix things
The design strategy opted by Gmail prompted Google's former lead designer Michael Leggett to build his own solution for all the mess - an extension called Simplify. When installed, either on Chrome or Firefox, the plugin moves unnecessary icons to hardly noticeable menus. Plus, the search bar shows up as an icon so that the focus solely remains on the email list.
What else Simplify changes in Gmail?
Simplify also places features like delete and search on top, removes colored labels for email categories, and places the compose icon on the bottom right, just like how it appears on the Android app. It makes the service much neater than what we use today.
Simplify comes for free, without ads
The Simplify extension is free to download on Chrome and Firefox and has got no ads whatsoever. To note, Leggett also claims that the service, which has got over 15,000 downloads, doesn't collect analytics from the users. He currently works at Nora and had previously contributed to the development of Inbox as well as Messenger for Facebook.
