Google has once again updated it’s interface but this time it’s the compose/reply function. The purpose is obviously designed to try and simplify the message experience with a small popup window taking up the bottom right corner of your screen instead of your whole screen.
The key benefits that Google advise you get with it’s new experience:
- Compose messages faster (less buttons?)
- Make reply/compose simpler
- Check emails as your are typing (distractions much?)
- Minimise drafts to edit later
- Compose two messages at once (ADHD for email?)
I do understand that Google loves to experiment and test new features on their audience but not yet sure on this update and how it might make Gmail more productive. With so many studies around over stimulation due to multiple digital distractions I’m not sure if this new feature is going to help Gmail users be more productive if you can’t block out the world when replying or composing a message.
It’s also not clear how this new feature might make Gmail easier or harder to use with a smaller laptop screen, as Gmail on laptop is a significantly different experience to Gmail on a 27inch monitor.
You can see below in the sample screenshot that a number of the compose functions are now hidden behind icons which will likely annoy power users and confuse new users to Gmail as they can’t find familiar functions.
Some new Gmail features also announced that appear to be more exciting which are on their way which would actually improve their platform and bring it closer to MS Exchange are: insert event invitations, send read receipts, add labels to outgoing messages.
I’m not completely sold on the new platform update but feel free to have you say in the comments below if you think it is a positive or negative move for Gmail users.