Evernote released a redesigned version of its web client today that tries to minimize distractions and encourage people to focus on the task at hand. The design hides most elements of the user interface by default, giving you a clean space to work in. Icons on the right give you access to your notebooks, tags, search, and other features. Mostly, though, it's just a white space to fill with your writing, with user interface elements that pop up when you hover over different parts of the screen. "It's built to eliminate distraction," Evernote CEO Phil Libin said at the fourth annual Evernote Conference. "It's built for focus."

"It's built for focus."

The web client goes some way toward addressing a common complaint about Evernote's note-taking software, which is that it is cluttered, complicated, and buggy. The changes Libin showed off today aren't coming to the desktop client — at least, not right away — but it seems likely that aspects of this design will migrate there over time.

The old web client will continue to exist indefinitely, Libin said, because the company is "afraid" to get rid of it. But you can opt in to the beta version now by logging in to the web client and following the prompts.

Evernote now has 100 million users, Libin said today. The company also showed off a redesigned interface for creating presentations and said it will be available later this year.