Folder Hub is an application for quickly accessing and searching files and folders in the current working directory.

What problems does Folder Hub solve?

In daily work, we often need to handle a large number of files and folders, usually organizing them into different directories by project. However, when you need to access a specific file in a certain project, you often have to open nested folders layer by layer.

• If a folder window is accidentally closed, you have to navigate from the beginning again, entering directories layer by layer to find the needed file.
• Even if the folder window is still open, it may be obscured by other active windows such as browsers, making it hard to quickly access the files inside.

How does Folder Hub solve these problems through interaction design?

By default, the Folder Hub window is hidden below the notch area of a MacBook. When the mouse moves to the notch area, the Folder Hub window appears; when the mouse moves out of the window, it automatically hides again.

When displayed, Folder Hub shows multiple workspaces, such as “Desktop,” “Downloads,” “Project A,” and “Project B.” These workspaces can be configured by the user and display the files and folders in the corresponding projects. Simply hover over the relevant area to switch workspaces.

Taking image loading as an example

Suppose you need to upload an image from “Project A” to a browser page. Just move the mouse to the browser’s text area, then hover over the “Project A” workspace in Folder Hub, and you can directly drag and drop the image from that workspace into the browser.

From this simple example, you can see the following advantages:

• No need to open nested folders layer by layer.
• Folder Hub stays above all other windows but does not obscure the currently active window.
• When opened again, Folder Hub retains the last selected workspace, eliminating the need to search for a previously closed Finder window.