Problem
Google Chrome is the undisputed king of web browsers. Unfortunately, the new tab page on Chrome shows you your most visited websites. For me, these were all the distracting websites I was trying to avoid. I would find myself opening a new tab to make a quick search, only to end up down a Youtube rabbit hole. The Chrome Webstore has extensions which allow you to customise the new tab page. I tried several of these such as momentum but none matched the minimalist aesthetic I was looking for.
Solution
I created my own chrome app called Minimal New Tab. This extension removes all the bright, distracting website logos and replaced them with the most important thing, at the time. Users are able to customise the colours and messages on their new tab page. Having this app installed greatly improved my focus, it has prevented countless Youtube and Reddit rabbit holes. I uploaded the app to the Chrome Webstore so others could also benefit. The source code is on GitHub.
Reflections
The design process for this project followed the “addition by subtraction” philosophy. As developers, we are often eager to pack as many features as possible into a product. We may think this adds more value. However, this is not always true! Sometimes removing distracting features and shipping something completely minimal provides the most value. This was my aim during the project.
This was my first experience creating an app for the Chrome Webstore, the shallow learning curve was a happy surprise. Solving a personal pain point is always a motivating factor when building something new.
