Two days ago, I was re-reading “Whose Got Your Back” and was struck Peter Gruber’s definition of elegance:
Elegance is the art of exerting the minimum amount of effort for the maximum effect, the maximum amount of power and achievement in our life.
When I signed up for Hipster today I tweeted about how beautiful it was. However, what really impressed me was the elegance of their email notifications.
The biggest problem with email notifications is that users become desensitized amidst inbox overload. By making the first line of text after the message title very short, their notification stood out. With a minimalist approach, they leveraged contrast to achieve their goal. They grabbed my attention.
This small example speaks to the broader theme of how well-executed, timely contrast can be an effective way to accomplish a challenging task. But for now, let’s just say that Hipster has elegant email notifications.
