Navigating the User Interface

Understanding Elumity's Interface Design

Elumity's user interface is built around the concept of interconnected workflows rather than isolated tools. Every element is designed to maintain context and relationships between your research materials, extracted knowledge, and written outputs. This guide will help you understand how to navigate efficiently and leverage the platform's integrated design.

Complete Elumity interface showing all main components

The primary navigation bar spans the top of your Elumity workspace and provides access to all core modules. Understanding this navigation system is essential for efficient platform use.

Navigation bar highlighting Library, References, Cards, Write, and Discover tabs

Core Module Tabs (Left Side)

  • Library: Document and file management hub
  • References: Citation and reference management system
  • Cards: Knowledge distillation and card creation workspace
  • Write: Long-form document creation and academic writing tools
  • Discover: Community knowledge sharing and exploration platform

Central Tools

  • Global Search Bar: Search across all your content including documents, Cards, and references
  • Search Scope: Automatically searches within your current space and connected content
Global search bar with search suggestions dropdown

Right Side Controls

  • Notifications: Bell icon showing all and unread notifications from collaborators and community interactions
  • Feedback: Direct line to submit platform feedback and suggestions
  • Help: Access help mode toggle, help hub, and Chrome extension installation
  • User Menu: Profile settings, user invitations, and logout options
Expanded user menu showing all available options

Workspace Organization System

Spaces: Your Primary Organizational Unit

Elumity organizes all content within "Spaces" - dedicated work environments that can be either private or collaborative.

Left sidebar showing inbox, private spaces, and group spaces
  • Inbox: Documents and Cards shared by other Elumity users
  • Private Spaces: Your individual research areas with custom folder structures
  • Group Spaces: Collaborative team workspaces with shared access
  • Space Counter: Visual indicator of how many private and group spaces you belong to
Space Management Functions
  • Create New Space: Click the plus icon next to space counters
  • Space Selection: Click on any space name to navigate and view its contents
  • Folder Hierarchy: Unlimited nested folder structure within each space
Space creation dialog showing private vs group space options

Module-Specific Interface Details

Library Module Interface

The Library serves as your document command center with sophisticated organization and management tools.

Library main view showing document grid and filter options
Main Content Area
  • Document Grid/List View: Visual representation of all documents with thumbnails
  • New Document Button: Primary action for uploading files or importing web content
  • Batch Selection: Select multiple documents for bulk operations
  • Document Preview: Hover over documents to see enlarged previews
Toolbar Functions
  • Filtering Options:
    • PDF types (plain, annotated, image)
    • Office files (Word, spreadsheet, presentations)
    • Media files (images, videos, audio)
    • Web pages and custom tags
  • Sorting Controls: Sort by space, date, title, type with ascending/descending options
  • View Options: Adjust thumbnail size from 50% to 200%
Library filtering interface showing all available filter categories

Appears when documents are selected, providing comprehensive document information and citation tools.

  • Document Details: Name, abstract, DOI, URL, keywords, notes
  • Citation Functions: Copy DOI, BibTeX, full references, abbreviated references
  • Reference Management: Edit references, access PubMed, select citation styles
  • File Operations: Rename, replace, or remove files while preserving references
  • Location Information: Shows current folder and space location
Metadata panel showing citation export options and document details

References Module Interface

Dedicated reference management with academic database integration and professional citation formatting.

References module showing reference list and database search options
Primary Functions
  • New Reference Button: Access to multiple import methods
  • Reference Import Options:
    • Online database search (OpenAlex, PubMed)
    • File import (BibTeX, RIS formats)
    • Website reference creation
    • Custom reference building
  • Reference Organization: Same folder and tagging system as Library
  • Reference Status Indicators: PDF attachment indicators showing linked documents
Reference Management Tools
  • Citation Style Selection: Choose from 10,000+ academic citation styles
  • Reference Editing: Modify citation details and metadata
  • Link Management: Connect and disconnect references from PDF files
  • Export Options: Multiple format export for external tools
Citation style selection dialog showing popular academic formats

Cards Module Interface

Elumity's signature knowledge distillation workspace with AI-powered creation tools.

Cards module showing tile view of knowledge cards
Card Overview Display
  • Tile View: Grid display showing card titles, reading time, image count, creation date, and cover images
  • Preview Mode: Split view with card list on left, full card preview on right
  • Reading Time Indicators: Automatic calculation of estimated reading time
  • Cover Image System: Visual identification for quick card recognition
Card Organization Tools
  • Filtering Options: Bookmark cards, Discover-shared cards, and custom filters
  • Sorting Controls: Sort by viewed, modified, created date, or title
  • View Modes: Tile view, preview mode, and folder grouping options
  • Bulk Operations: Multi-card selection for organizing and sharing
Card filtering interface showing bookmark and Discover filter options
Card Creation Interface

When creating or editing Cards, the interface expands to provide comprehensive editing tools.

  • Rich Text Editor: Full formatting toolbar with heading styles, lists, alignment, and color options
  • AI Assistant Integration: Grammar correction, writing improvement, translation, and custom AI queries
  • Media Management: Image upload, URL import, Unsplash integration, and video support
  • Reference Integration: Direct citation addition and academic source linking
  • Advanced Tools: Equation editor, table creation, dividers, and drag-and-drop reordering
Card editing interface showing rich text editor and AI assistance options

Write Module Interface

Academic writing environment with integrated research access and professional output formatting.

Write module showing document creation with sidebar access to research materials
Document Creation Area
  • Title and Metadata: Document title, author management, affiliations, and keywords
  • Abstract Section: Dedicated area for research paper abstracts
  • Main Writing Area: Full-featured text editor with academic formatting
  • Reference Section: Automatic reference list generation with style selection
Research Integration Sidebars
  • Left Sidebar: Research Materials
    • Direct access to PDF documents from your Library
    • Real-time Card browsing and content integration
    • Copy-and-paste functionality from research sources
  • Citation Management: Inline reference insertion and automatic formatting
Document Management
  • Progress Tracking: 10-stage progress system from "Seed" to "Done"
  • Export Options: PDF, Word with inline figures, Word with separate figures
  • Version History: Complete revision tracking and rollback capabilities
  • Auto-save: Continuous document saving during writing sessions
Write module progress tracking showing all 10 stages

Discover Module Interface

Community knowledge sharing platform with social interaction features.

Discover module showing community card feed
Content Discovery Area
  • Card Feed: Grid display of community-shared Cards
  • Social Information: Card titles, reading time, publication date, and author information
  • Interaction Tools: Save, recommend, follow, and comment functions on each Card
  • Content Filtering: View all cards, saved cards, recommended cards, following, and posted cards
Community Features
  • Author Following: Track preferred content creators
  • Recommendation System: Peer-to-peer card suggestions
  • Comment System: Community feedback and discussion threads
  • Group Spaces Discovery: Find and request access to collaborative workspaces
Discover card interaction options showing save, recommend, follow, and comment buttons

Advanced Interface Features

PDF Viewer Integration

When opening PDFs, Elumity launches a sophisticated viewer with research-integrated capabilities.

PDF viewer showing annotation tools and Cards sidebar
PDF Viewer Components
  • Top Toolbar: Zoom controls, view options, search, citation tools, and download functions
  • Left Panel Toggle: Page thumbnail navigation
  • Main Viewing Area: PDF content with annotation capabilities
  • Right Sidebar: Integrated Cards panel for real-time knowledge extraction
Annotation and Extraction Tools
  • Selection Tools: Text selection, image clipping, and content highlighting
  • Annotation Options: Highlight, underline, strikeout with color options
  • Card Integration: Direct copy-to-card functionality with context menus
  • Citation Access: Immediate DOI, BibTeX, and reference export without leaving the viewer

Responsive Design Elements

Elumity's interface adapts to different screen sizes and usage patterns:

  • Collapsible Sidebars: Hide or show navigation and metadata panels as needed
  • Scalable Content Views: Adjust document and Card thumbnail sizes for optimal viewing
  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Efficient navigation for power users
  • Help Mode Toggle: Overlay guidance for new users learning the interface
Interface showing collapsed sidebars and different view modes

Getting Help with Navigation

If you encounter any interface issues or need additional guidance:

  • Help Mode: Toggle on-screen guidance tooltips
  • Contact Support: Direct assistance for technical issues

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