Desktop layout and orientation

BlindBox Desktop is designed around landmarks and predictable transitions, so you rarely have to guess what changed.

• Skip links can jump straight to main content, folders, the message list, the selected message, or the composer when those regions exist.
• The outer shell also owns live screen reader announcements, the global loading overlay, onboarding modals, and the always-available Blind Sight toggle.
• Updates can appear as a banner near the top without replacing the rest of the mailbox.

The left side of the app is the main navigation anchor and one of the easiest places to rebuild orientation.

• It begins with the current mailbox identity so you always know which account or combined view you are in.
• Compose, Inbox, optional folders, labels, All Files, and Settings live here in a stable vertical order.
• The mailbox area lets you switch between individual inboxes and All Inboxes without changing the larger mental model of the app.

The mailbox header changes with the active workspace, but it always stays action-oriented.

• The current folder title changes to All Files when you switch from messages to attachment browsing.
• Refresh, Compose, and Search stay available from the top strip so the center region stays focused on results.
• When streamlined mode is enabled, the header collapses the app down to essential actions and offers a quick way to restore the fuller controls.

The center region is where triage happens before you open a single message.

• Message lists support keyboard movement, search, selection, bulk actions, and pagination.
• All Files keeps the same work area but replaces message rows with attachment rows so you can browse files directly.
• Attachment browsing adds sorting and filters such as date, name, size, type, or person to make large file collections easier to scan.

Opening a message turns the reading pane into a focused surface for reading and acting on one item.

• The top of the panel gives you subject, sender, recipients, and date so orientation starts with the message identity.
• Reply, Reply All, Forward, Archive, Spam, Delete, read or unread, star, Read Aloud, and Back live in the main action toolbar.
• Attachments appear in this same view, and supported files can show summaries and transcripts without sending you to a different screen.

Compose, Settings, account setup, onboarding, and confirmation prompts open as focused layers above the mailbox.

• Focus stays inside the active dialog so your reading path does not accidentally drift into the background mailbox.
• Closing a temporary layer returns focus to the control that opened it whenever possible.
• Compose can manage drafts, attachments, audio recordings, save actions, and send actions without making you leave the session you were already in.

A few features change what the center of the app is showing, but they do not ask you to learn a different interface.

• All Inboxes combines messages from connected accounts into one shared list.
• Blind Sight removes the visible layer while keeping keyboard and screen reader access active.
• Guide and Q&A inside Settings give you a spoken floor plan when you need to recover orientation quickly.