It's amazing how a simple UI feature can lay dormant for so many years then just take off in popularity in a short time. One good example of this is the command palette. I see tons of tools that incorporate a command palette (or drawer, if you will) as their primary product or as a feature within a larger platform.
Text editors and browser developer tools are two examples that have included some kind of command palette for years before this UI feature took off in other places.
The Chrome extension eesel is built around a command palette UI
As you'll see in the tools section below, two of the apps featured this week include a command palette, but in different contexts.
I love the command palette because it's simple, it's linear in its process (i.e. you search, you get a list), and it doesn't stray too much from stuff we're already used to doing.
If you find an app or platform is difficult to use, find out if it has a command palette for searching. If you're building an app, include a command palette if possible — your users will love it.
Now on to this week's hand-picked productivity links!
