Windows Explorer#
When Xiaoshu first proposed the concept of converting bookmarks into new tabs, he was thinking about how to display it. It couldn't be the same as the previous Nexmoe homepage. So when he thought about bookmarks having folders and sub-items, he thought of the Windows Explorer Home page. So the overall framework was designed to be consistent with this page.
Apple Home app#
After deciding on the design framework, it was not possible to directly copy the design of Windows Explorer, as it was not attractive enough. Suddenly, I remembered a picture of the Home app that I had bookmarked years ago. So I decided to use this design.
Upon careful consideration, it seemed as if it was fate. At that time, I was thinking about revamping the Nexmoe homepage, so I also bookmarked some things.
When it came to designing the header, including the inspiration for Xiaoshu's name, it was partly inspired by the Apple Home app.
https://www.apple.com/home-app/
Xiaoshu
Nexmoe homepage#
From the beginning, Xiaoshu used the search box from the Nexmoe homepage. Since Meteor, Xiaoshu has been thinking about simplifying the Nexmoe homepage. Making the page only have a few main buttons.
https://nexmoe.com/537283684.html
Xiaoshu
Introducing Mercury OS#
Although I read this article long after Xiaoshu released his project, its design philosophy is surprisingly similar to Xiaoshu's. And it later became Xiaoshu's learning object.
Mercury OS aims to create a smooth and intuitive computing experience. Its design follows the principles of humanization, making it suitable for people with limited executive and cognitive functions, such as ASD or ADHD. Mercury OS is an alternative to traditional desktops, with a more focused and familiar interaction design approach. Its architecture is based on modules assembled based on user intent and organized into groups called spaces.
https://uxdesign.cc/introducing-mercury-os-f4de45a04289
Notion#
It's hard to imagine any tool that doesn't need to learn from Notion. Because it's popular, this article won't explain it in detail.
Anytype#
About a month ago, I suddenly discovered a project. When I looked at the preview image, it reminded me of Xiaoshu, but I wasn't sure. So I spent an afternoon learning about anything related to Anytype and quickly joined the internal testing to try it out. There are indeed similarities in terms of ideas.
I particularly like a few sentences on their official website:
tools for thought, freedom and trust.
A place to nurture connections & ideas Where your rights to digital sovereignty and privacy are mathematically assured
Arc#
About a week ago, in another class, I was browsing The Verge and came across this article (I also discovered Anytype during class, it seems that class is the best time to find inspiration). Then I immersed myself in this article for an afternoon.
Arc has many similarities to Xiaoshu, and it also implements the compromises that Xiaoshu initially made. I remember back in high school, I always wanted to create a browser and was wondering how Cent Browser was made. Later, due to my limited technical skills, I compromised and decided to start with bookmarks.
It's a combination of a bookmarking tool and an application launcher, providing a way to organize your entire online life in a way that makes sense to you.
One of the company's biggest ideas is that in a web-based online world, everything is just a URL, which means that anything can be linked to anywhere and accessed from anywhere.
In this way, it is more powerful than your home screen—it can not only launch concepts, but also launch specific concept pages, individual YouTube videos, or exact files you are looking for. I have an Arc space called "Queue" with links to Netflix shows, YouTube videos, articles from The New York Times, and other things I want to read. All I have to do is click on the link and it will open in the right application.
Arc’s mobile browser is here — and it’s not really a web browser at all
Conclusion#
During the development of Xiaoshu, I have met many like-minded people. Perhaps everyone should have their own project and contribute to the wave of the world.
This article was written using the xLog backend article editor for the first time. Overall, the experience was good, but there were some shortcomings. For example, when I was halfway through writing, Brave locked my wallet, and xLog asked me to reconnect, which startled me, but fortunately, no data was lost. In the past, I used VS Code to write Markdown, relying on right-click formatting of Markdown and Pangu. Perhaps we can look forward to xLog developing extensions related to the editor in the future.