{Interactive Web Design Blog}

So I thought that most people in the world knew how to use Gmail, and then I met someone that didn’t… so I thought it might be about that time to post a little intro tutorial on the best parts of Gmail that you shouldn’t miss, whether you’re a web professional or not.

If you are new to Gmail, your inbox probably looks like this(above). Sure, it look clean, and pretty enough but I like my email inbox to have a more personal feel.

So, here is how to  add a theme to your inbox:

• Click on the “Settings” link in the top right hand corner of the page,
  and you will see will see the page below.

• Click on the “Themes” link. It is the link farthest to the right.
• And you will see a whole page full of themes waiting for you
  

I’m confident enough to say that there’s a theme for everyone. There’s a video game theme for the nerds, a mountain theme (that changes depending on your location!) for those outdoor types, and there’s even an option to pick your own color scheme if you know exactly what you want.  Good times.

The next Gmail gem on my list is Gmail Labs. Without labs, Gmail would not look so special next to Hotmail or .. Microsoft Outlook But these labs bring much needed functionality and an ability to customize your inbox exactly the way you want it.

So, here is how to enable Labs in your Gmail account:

• Return to the settings page where you first found the “Themes” link.
  and just two links to the left, you will find the “Labs” link. Click on it!
• Your page will look something like this:

This part can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you haven’t explored a ton of Gmail’s features, so I’ll outline five Labs that in my opinion are must-haves.  If you’d prefer to explore on your own, all you need to do to get each lab working is to select “Enable” to the right of the lab.  Make sure you save your changes at the bottom, or it won’t work.

My Top five Gmail Labs:

1. Google Calendar Gadget

This lab puts a small Google Calendar widget in your left-hand column. I LOVE this.. because then I don’t need to switch over to Google Calendar to see what is coming up in my schedule.

2. Right-side Chat

This may be personal taste, but I really don’t like scrolling down the page to see who happens to be online to chat.. and depending how many widgets you have in your left column, you might have to scroll as well.  This one is pretty self-explanatory. It puts your chat on the right side of the page.

3. Navbar drag and drop

Yes! a Lab to control all of these widgets.  This allows you to drag and drop the elements in your left-column.

4. Mark as Read Button

This may be the biggest timesaver of all! I don’t know if you are obsessed with organizing your email like I am, but I was growing weary of having to click on the “More actions” drop down menu to Mark my emails as read. Nevermore, my friends. This Lab places the “Mark as Read” Button right next to all the other important buttons.

5. Inserting Images

This Lab is great. It allows you to insert images directly into the body of your message. Sometimes, I just want to send a silly image that my friends don’t have to download.  Also, It can be great to add context and interest to your emails.

There you have it! I hope this post has expanded your world and helped you enjoy Gmail even more.

In my next post, we’ll dive into filters and labels.  It will be perfect for you if you really enjoy an organized mailbox.

<3

Laura

Check out my program at:

http://www.interactivedesignlab.com/

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