The paradox of choice: How InstaText simplifies your editing process

Imagine you are editing your text with an editing tool. Which of these scenarios do you think is better: the editor gives you several options to choose from for different words or sections of the text and explains each suggestion so you can decide which one you like better. Or the editor gives you only one choice, which you can either accept or reject.

If you’ve read the book “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less” by American psychologist Barry Schwartz or watched his TED Talk on the same topic, you already know that too many choices—from the mundane to the profound—can lead to decision-making paralysis, dissatisfaction, and regret.

InstaText as an editing assistant was developed with Schwartz’s counter-intuitive case in mind: Eliminating choices can significantly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives.

From the editing style to the design of the user interface to the number and type of features, the idea that a minimalist approach could be more effective has been deliberately integrated into every aspect of InstaText.

This is why you don’t see multiple suggestions for each edit when using InstaText. You only see one, which you can either accept or reject. You also don’t see any explanations for the edits—which, by the way, are very intuitive thanks to the technology behind InstaText.

This approach, which in no way compromises on the quality of the edits, serves several purposes and has several advantages:

It reduces your mental load and minimizes the risk of decision fatigue, as you do not have to make too many decisions during the editing process.
It minimizes the likelihood of you feeling confused and overwhelmed, as you don’t have to read and think about explanations of the edits.
It helps you avoid distractions and concentrate on the essentials when editing.
It helps you save time and be more efficient and productive.

In the long run, you will not only have a better editing experience, but you will also feel that your overall well-being is positively influenced.

InstaText features: Few but effective

Speaking of minimalist functions: Let’s take a quick look at some of the key features that make InstaText stand out as a simple yet sophisticated editing assistant.

Note that most of these features are available both in InstaText’s web-based Editor and in the browser extension, which enables you to edit texts directly in Google Docs, Gmail, and other apps. Some features are only available in the web-based Editor.

Enjoy a simple, clean editing area

InstaText’s editing area has been intentionally designed to be simple and clean to minimize distractions and allow you to focus on refining your text. All you need to do is feed InstaText with the text you want to edit.

Accept or reject suggestions

You can easily accept or reject suggestions individually or all at once within a selected block or in the entire text.

Switch between canvases

If you need to change your original text before you edit it again, you can easily switch between the canvases for the original and the improved version.

Change language settings

Set the tone of the text to informal or informal and choose between American or British English, depending on your needs and preferences.

Create your personal dictionary

Use the advanced personal dictionary feature to keep the words or word combinations that you don’t want InstaText to change when editing—either because you prefer them or because they are part of industry jargon.

Customize editing space

You can adjust the size of the editing area by simply dragging the line in the middle, depending on whether you want to focus on the original text canvas or the improved version. This allows you to concentrate better and reduces eye strain when editing.

Use keyboard shortcuts

There are several keyboard shortcuts that you can easily access to help you accept and reject suggestions and use other functions more quickly.

Export or share the improved text

You can easily download the improved version as a Word file with or without Track Changes or share the link to the edited text for your own reference or team collaboration.

Simplify your editing with InstaText

Now you know that InstaText takes many decisions off your hands so you can focus on what matters most, which not only simplifies content creation, but also your life.

If you’re a user, read our blog for new insights into the different use cases of InstaText. If you haven’t tried it yet, try it for free and we think you will enjoy the experience of editing with InstaText.

“Using InstaText is intuitive and simple. We use it by copying previously created texts (emails, offers, project descriptions…) and checking them for possible improvements. The main advantage is that InstaText suggests how to rewrite the whole text and automatically selects more suitable words. This allows us to get the improved text faster and easier.”

— Enya Caserman, Business Designer

“I used to be able to submit at most one paper a year. Now I can write at least 8 academic papers in less than a year!”

— Dr. Saeid Fahimeh, Researcher

“I use InstaText for improving my English writing. It always helps me to improve my English grammar and improve the text without losing its actual meaning. It also helps me to improve my writing skills.”

— Aswin Dileep, Technical Associate