Designing the split-screen workspace
Sol chat, sağ canvas. Why a single column is hostile to chemistry and what changed when we let the canvas breathe.
The problem with single-column chat
A single chat column forces chemistry into a stream of text and shoves the molecule out of view the moment you scroll. Chemists think in two registers at once — the explanation and the structure — and a one-column layout makes you choose between them. The interface, not the chemistry, becomes the bottleneck.
The split-screen idea
Cheemly puts the conversation on the left and a live canvas on the right. The canvas holds whatever the current task needs: a drawn structure, a workflow graph, a quiz, or a spectrum. Both panes share state, so editing a structure on the right updates the discussion on the left, and vice versa.
What changed when the canvas could breathe
- Structures stay in view: You read the explanation without losing the molecule.
- Editing is direct: Draw or adjust on the canvas instead of describing changes in prose.
- Context persists: The right pane is a workspace, not a disposable message, so a report or diagram survives across turns.
Design constraints we kept
The split must collapse gracefully on small screens, never trap focus, and keep the mascot reaction subtle rather than distracting. The canvas is the workspace; the chat is the guide. Getting that hierarchy right took more iterations than the layout itself.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the split-screen workspace?
- It is Cheemly’s two-pane layout: chat on the left, a live canvas on the right for structures, workflows, quizzes, or spectra. Both panes share state so edits in one update the other.
- Why not just use a normal chat interface?
- A single column hides the molecule when you scroll and forces you to describe structural changes in words. Keeping a dedicated canvas in view lets chemists read an explanation and manipulate a structure at the same time.