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Nothing divides people like differing tolerance of clutter. I'd like to take you down a path to Gmail nirvana, starting from the noisiest possible configuration, and provide reasons why disabling certain features will make you more productive.
I'm not picking on people who like particular configurations - there are some highly productive people I admine, who are fond of the reading pane, for example. Also, I'm not picking on using themes or "archiving nicely vs. living on a pile of old mails" - yet.
If you are up for some tips, join me on this opinionated journey to a minimalist's inbox.
Problem 1: Chat
Problem 1: Chat
The show of horrors is starting. Problem #1: Chat. Doesn't matter if you have it to your left or to your right! You have better things to do than hanging around in Gmail all day, so better do your chatting from the dedicated Chat app. Otherwise, you'll be drawn to that new chat message, that email arriving, new chat message, that email...
To set up Chat properly, open chat.google.com in a new tab and pin it (right-click the tab and select Pin tab). It'll always stay open in your browser and be reduced to a nice, tidy icon. Then, open Gmail's preferences: Settings > Chat > disable. Don't worry, Chat refers to Hangouts here.
Problem 2: Too many buttons
Problem 2: Too many buttons
Much better already. But there is just too much stuff we can click on, it is overwhelming, begging for your attention. Also, it takes up so much space.
Labels. A LOT of labels. You do not need to see them all at the same time - you want to focus on the task at hand, which is either reading or writing emails. Labels will still be there when you need them. Go ahead and collapse the Gmail menu (three stripes left of the Gmail logo).
Unnecessary label management shortcuts. Click "less" to collapse them. If you get the urge to organize your labels, label management will be there, waiting for you.
The side panel - I love it, but why see it all the time. It's dead space and distracting coloured icons - click the little arrow to collapse it. That menu, too, will be there for you.
You are starting to get the best of both worlds - like a master smith, your tools are at your disposal, but not in your face the whole time. (I have no idea whether smiths work like this.)
Problem 3: Attention-grabbing indicators
Problem 3: Attention-grabbing indicators
Your inbox looks much better already. More space for you to act! But all sorts of icons and indicators are constantly begging for your attention. Let's take them down, one by one.
Remove the the little number in the tab's header ("favicon" is the technical term). Go to Settings > Advanced, and disable Unread message icon if you have it enabled. Finally, pin the Gmail (right-click the tab, select Pin). This will make sure Gmail stays in place and hides the distracting "Inbox (2)" indicator. Learn more about pinning here!
I bet you whatever amount that you never click all those icons. You don't need to be reminded of 3 messages in Spam, nor that you have a folder for "sent" items. Click More (below the last label, told you it would be waiting for you) and Manage labels.
HIDE EVERYTHING. Honestly, how often do you go through your "all mail"? You can now use shortcuts to access them at lightspeed.
Only exceptions: Set "Drafts" and "Outbox" to show if unread. When you do have a draft, Drafts will show up in your sidebar. Same for Outbox (used when emailing while you are offline). Super helpful to remember to get everything done!
Collapse the Manage labels menu again and then collapse the sidebar again.
Bliss!
The attachment links are unfortunate and distracting additions by the new Gmail UI. They are shown when the "Display density" is set to default. Click the Preferences icon > Display density > Comfortable
Problem 4: Strange productivity features that make you curious
Problem 4: Strange productivity features that make you curious
The special thing about G Suite is that it isn't any program that you open, close and forget - unlike the application where you charge your hours at the end of the month. It's an extension of you! Your word processor is YOU, your email is YOU.
I think this is why people get defensive over Gmail configurations. Remember, I want to show you how to get minimal and focussed, so bear with me when I speak out against two popular Gmail modifications:
As every productivity guru will tell you, the key is touching every email once. Processing and archiving - that's what emails are for.
Splitting your inbox between Read and Unread is a huge productivity trap. It gives you a false sense of achievement. Try adopting reading and archiving it to get to Inbox Zero, the knowledge worker's state of Zen. Click the preferences icon, Settings > Inbox and set Inbox Type to Default.
Remove the "Preview Pane" if you have it enabled. It tempts you into glancing into emails without taking action, plus it takes up a lot of screen estate. Click the preferences icon, Settings > Advanced and Disable preview pane.
Problem 5: Unnecessary previews
Problem 5: Unnecessary previews
Your inbox is really looking cleaner. I haven't changed the window size for these screenshots! So much space!
The Personal Level Indicators are a relic that must go. They are supposed to show whether you were only cc'd. Turns out you read all emails anyway! Click the preferences icon, Settings > General and select No indicators for Personal Level Indicators. The chevron around the Indicator must go. It is supposed to show you what emails are important, and again, you can't tell your client that you didn't reply because Google didn't think it important. You read everything. So click the preferences icon, Settings > Inbox and select No markers for Importance markers.
The Snippets also must go. They are a preview of the email and were designed to mimic what Google search looked like years ago. Today, they serve to make you curious, so out they go. You don't need attention grabbing, you need clarity. And you certainly need the first 100 characters of an email to know what it's about. Click the preferences icon, Settings > General and select No snippets for Snippets.
You did it!
You did it!
Minimalism, glory and a much better email experience are yours! It can't get more minimal (believe me, I tried eliminating the stars...). There are some adjustments to workflow to turn you into an email machine, but that will be subject of a future post. It was intense enough today!
Extra tips
Extra tips
Do not open multiple Gmail in multiple tabs or windows.. There are better ways to remember what you were doing, such as Drafts, Starring and Tasks. You will just confuse yourself and slow down your browser - and power users need all the power they can get!
Enable conversation view. Read this if you would like to become a conversation-view-hater-turned-lover.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you had some fun along the way. I would ask you to send me a screenshot of your inbox when you were done... Enjoy emailing like Gmail was meant to be!
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