Over the last few design updates, Gmail failed to awe us. I remember, when for the first time I saw Gmail in 2004. It was quite ahead design-wise and I loved its usability and functionality. Everyone wanted “the” invite. With time, Google made many new design changes that increased functionality but however worsen its utility. Most of these bad design changes came after Google+ integration like – #. Non-clickable Google logo instead of default Gmail’s logo #. Non-recognizable icons and no text for common actions (Archieve, Report Spam, Delete). #. Useless people widget when you have Rapportive. #. New Compose feature was last nail in the coffin. Solution: Gmelius It is a browser addon available for Chrome, Firefox and Opera. After installing, you are taken to Gmelius settings page where you can choose which functionalities to remove to gain space and tweaks to improve usability along with other features. Some of the important Features are – #. No advertisements. Absolutely. (If you want to remove ads and sponsored links without Gmelius, here is our handy guide.) #. Remove Chat statuses, footer, widgets and “Consider including” when writing your emails to get that clean look. #. Use only default fonts, add attachment icons, highlight mails on mouse hovering and move labels to right. #. Make common actions (Delete, Reply, Archive etc) more recognizable with colors and icons. and many more. One of my favorite features is to standardize or homogenize mail fonts and colors. With this option selected, you won’t see custom and often unreadable fonts but the default ones. If you are looking for clean and uncluttered interface, then Gmelius should work out of the box for you. It is perfect for removing useless functionalities and its little tweaks add to the usability. Note: Gmelius is not available for Safari and Internet Explorer. Link: Gmelius.
