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Why does Gmail website hide options like "links", "smileys" etc. under a '+' sign when there is clearly enough room along the footer? Am I missing something, or is google really pushing google+?

Example:

enter image description here

When you put your mouse over the + button, it looks like this (with the mouse being on the icon with the tooltip)

enter image description here

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    Can you add some context? Is your screenshot from mobile? The version of Gmail I'm using defaults to show over a dozen rich formatting options.
    – Graham Herrli
    Mar 14, 2013 at 15:16
  • FWIW the + sign alone is never used as official Google + branding; it's either written out in full or as "g+"
    – Ben Brocka
    Mar 14, 2013 at 15:35
  • Dunno. Ask Google. No-one here is privvy to Mountain View's decisions - we can only guess.
    – Jimmy Breck-McKye
    Mar 14, 2013 at 15:52
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    well the g+ comment I made was just for fun ;)
    – Cam.Davidson.Pilon
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:18

3 Answers 3

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If you had 20 links, it would take you longer to scan for the attachment button than it would with two links and an expansion button. They are just optimising the most common use case.

You should always optimise for very common actions over rare actions. How much more common or rare they need to be is a judgement call which should be based on data and testing.

I'm not arguing whether this was a good or poor choice, as I don't have the data to make that judgement, but the reasoning is sound.

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    I see your point. Perhaps eventually google will implicitly customize around personal use cases, and hide font decorations inside + and hyperlinks at the header.
    – Cam.Davidson.Pilon
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:19
  • @Cam.Davidson.Pilon That would be an excellent idea, but may complicate some other aspects. Definitely worth exploring it.
    – JohnGB ♦
    Mar 14, 2013 at 17:29
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I do not see how the + sign has anything to do with Google+. :)

It is just a matter of balancing the importantance/"commoness" of actions.

By each thing you make directly visible, everything else becomes a little less visible. Google simply pushes the simplicity factor to the edge in their visuals, like always.

For example, it might be faster for some to find the smiley if it was not hidden behind the +. But it would take longer for others to find the more important/common attach button, if all other buttons, like the Smiley button, would always show.

You could ask the same question about a lot of things. For example the Formatting Options A button, or the More button in the top bar of google pages.

I find it successful. This balance is what makes it possible for my 83 year old grandmother to be able to find the attach button.

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It's seems to be inspired by a Mobile UX where the UI streamlined to what is essential. I think it's a great example of UX patterns convergence.

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  • Great example of it, as well as a mightily annoying one.
    – Dirk v B
    Nov 28, 2013 at 5:33

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