We can design a better inbox. Here are some ideas.
It’s 2017, and your email inbox probably looks something like this:
This interface is OK, but I think it could be much better. As a knowledge worker who gets lots of email, I want an interface that protects my focus and helps me cultivate an effective email workflow. The interface should encourage good email habits and help me break bad ones.
I’ve been hacking on this idea for the past year or so. In this post, I’ll describe three ways that email client designers could help us do email better.
What are we aiming for?
What does an ideal inbox workflow look like? Here’s a suggestion:
The Enlightened One checks their inbox with reasonable frequency, batch processes their email on a regular schedule and minimises the total time they spend in their inbox.
The ideal frequency, schedule and total time will depend on your role, but I think it’s pretty clear that most knowledge workers check their inbox far too often, process email on an erratic schedule, and spend way too much time in their inbox.
What could we improve?
In short, I think the basic issue is that our current email clients make it too easy to see your inbox.
Below are three problems with the current paradigm, with thoughts on how to improve.
Our inboxes are visible by default
We often open our email with the goal of composing a message or retrieving information from our archives. When this is our goal, it is bad for us to see our inboxes, as there’s a good chance there’s something new in there that will distract us from the task at hand.
Solution:
Email clients should (include the option to) hide your inbox by default, and encourage you to check your inbox on an intentional — not an accidental — schedule.
Too easy to access your inbox anytime
If you keep a bowl of candy beside you at all times you will eat too much candy. Your email inbox is candy for your mind — if it’s only a click away, you’re likely to compulsively over-consume.
Solution:
To avoid compulsive overconsumption, you should restrict your access. Email clients should make it easy to restrict your access to your inbox to certain times of day (on a schedule you reflectively choose), and to restrain yourself from compulsively checking your inbox.
Lack of nudges and feedback
Your email inbox is a habit forming product. To cultivate and sustain good habits, we need nudges and self-awareness cues to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Solution:
Email clients should nudge you if they detect common problems such as compulsive checking or excessive amounts of time spent in the inbox. They should encourage you to set goals (for things like checks per day and total time spent) and give you feedback on how you’re doing relative to them.
Closing remarks
These are just a couple of ideas I’ve been playing with over the past year, which some people find useful. Whether or not these particular ideas are the ones that would move the needle for millions of knowledge workers, I’m fairly convinced that there is some low hanging fruit here. I hope that within the next few years, inbox designers will do more to protect our focus and help us cultivate better inbox workflows.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Please comment on this post or write to peter@inboxwhenready.org.
