Grouped Tab ScrollerA simple conceptual design to improve

tabbed browsing experience

Wayne Lee, June 2009http://trilancer.wordpress.com/

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1/cat:93

251 Tab add-ons for Firefox so far From full-featured controller to tiny improvements or customization

Tons on-spot commands Lots settings

Multiple thumbnail options

Tabbed Browsing Experience Becoming More & More Complex

How Many Tabs Can a Browser Hold?Hint: check out

Mac OS Exposé

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13877151@N05/1412839227/sizes/l/

100+

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theredpower/3303342401/sizes/l/

300+

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80246871@N00/1871392949/sizes/l/

600+

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremiahkellogg/2227228613/sizes/o/

1000+

The Ultimate Tab Manager?

How Many Tabs Can A Human Brain Hold?… plus commands & options?

Introducing Grouped Tab Scroller

(GTS)

Bring the simple & familiar scroller

control paradigm

to tab navigation

Bring the simple & familiar scroller

control paradigm

to tab navigationPrevious

TabPrevious

TabNextTabNextTab

Tabs Organized into Groups With Color as Assistant Indicator

Tabs grouped according to relevance: domain, title, linkage …

(configurable)

Tabs grouped according to relevance: domain, title, linkage …

(configurable)

View Tab Thumbs in a Group Removing Irrelevant Tab Thumbs Emphasizing Current Group

Scroll through Groups Switching Context Made Easy

Jump to Tab in Another Group

Jump to Another Tab Group

Further Features For Power User

Group Re-ordering

Slice Group to Make a New Window

What if I got too many tabs / groups? Probably 0 satisfactory answer if you got 1000 tabs

Tentative Answer to More Tabs in a Group:“Use mouse wheel to scroll back & forth within tab area”

Tentative Answer to More Groups:“2-level drop down menu to pick group then tab”

Takeaway

•

Usability of GTS (fewer

tabs & groups)–

Efficiency

–

Effectiveness–

Satisfaction

•

Usability under more

tabs & groups–

Effectiveness & Efficiency WILL drop for sure

No matter how cool your user interface, less would be better

Alan Cooper

Resources

•

Live Demo–

http://www.trilancer.com/tab/

•

Video:–

http://www.vimeo.com/5246129

•

Discussion:–

http://trilancer.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/gts-

grouped-tab-scroller/