I really like the concept – especially its name – of the “cognitive shield” as described by Aza Raskin. The point is to block out information that might distract a user from their primary task, while still have it be available in case it is relevant to that task.

In the end, the affordance of the final implementation ended up getting in the way, but the concept was retained in a more understated form.

We’ve taken another tack this time at not breaking your train of thought by using default fonts and a Firefox-gray background. Instead of taking the over-the-top cognitive shield approach, we are trying to make the page “fit-in” to ameliorate a visually jarring experience. After a couple days of testing and feedback, it seems to work.

While I’m not willing to give up on the concept of abstracting secondary tasks / information in the bold way the original concept proposed, a sufficient cognitive shield will always be available in the form of a good visual hierarchy and adherence to the principals of information design.