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Acrobat for Windows and Mac: User Interface

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Ditch the 2023 User Interface in Acrobat

There are so many shortcomings and problems with the new 2023 GUI interface. Here are just a few:

  1. Swapping left and right-hand panels for no reason. This does not improve anything for users. It just forces users to change everything about how they work in Acrobat every workday.

  2. Functions are indicated by random icons. In the 90s, we learned that icons in software and websites don't work across different populations. Users have a difficult time figuring out what the heck they mean. Give text labels.

  3. The left panel is permanently positioned on the screen and obscures part of the document below. Seriously Adobe, WTF.

  4. The entire menu/panel system can't be customized, moved, or docked. Another WTF.

  5. Hamburger menus (those obscure 3 horizontal lines) are used on mobile interfaces to collapse menus. They are totally unnecessary and inappropriate on desktop interfaces — where working people spend most of their time working. Give people real menus with real names. "Menu" is not accurate, either. What is the name of the other menu to the right? Menu 2? Cheeseburger Menu?

  6. The new interface is inaccessible for those with disabilities who use assistive technologies, especially screen reader users. Adobe has seriously violated its VPAT with governments and corporations worldwide who are required by law to provide accessible work environments and tools.

  7. Grey on Grey is not an accessible color scheme. Can't tell if some icons are active or disabled. Those with low vision can't discern the icons.

  8. Digital signatures, Document Cloud (where Adobe stores your files by default), subscriptions, OCR, file creation, file combining, and accessibility all have reported major problems for the past few years...but rather than fix these critical problems, money was instead spent on rearranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic.

As long-time PDF consultants, my firm has found that the majority of customers are professionals who use Acrobat for their jobs. These are not "casual" users working on their smartphones. They are using desktops/laptops with full screens, not mobile devices to do their jobs. And they work with PDFs a lot.

They have developed actions and scripts to automate processes on dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of PDF files every day. These industries include print, prepress, graphic design, accessibility & remediation, accessible forms, variable forms, variable printing, data validation, financial institutions (think of all those bank statements every month!), health care, investment and finance, and manufacturing.

Dramatic GUI changes like 2023's completely change how these automated processes work...if they still work at all.

The cost to these industries to correct the now-broken processes — brought on by Adobe's whimsical, untested design idea — is appalling. If I was a major corporation hit by this unnecessary expense, I'd ban Adobe products from my company and look for another PDF vendor.

There are now many reputable competitors to Adobe Acrobat: See:
— https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-pdf-editors
— https://www.techradar.com/best/pdf-editors
— https://www.pcworld.com/article/407214/best-pdf-editors.html

Calling this Acrobat's "Modern Viewer" is a form of gaslighting Adobe customers. It's not modern at all — 30 years ago, using icons failed in software and web interfaces, and it's failing again with Acrobat 2023. Sometimes retro isn't good, especially retro user interfaces. Please don't attempt to bring back disco, old-fashioned 20 inch TVs, polyester suits, rotary phones and VHS tapes as being "Modern," too.

Ditch this "Modern Viewer" and instead give us a working tool to get our jobs done.

  1. Revert the interface back to what it was.

  2. Fix Acrobat's bugs. There are so many!

  3. And improve the accessibility for those with disabilities (who can't get to the Comments panel, Bookmarks panel, understand what and how much is redacted, make edits or change the content, scale/enlarge the interface, nor sign a PDF).

For those still reading this, users can revert to the old interface for now (August 2023).
— Windows: Hamburger Menu / Disable New Acrobat
— Mac: View Menu / Disable New Acrobat

I have no idea who long Adobe is going to let us revert to the "real" interface.

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Bevi Chagnon | PubCom.com shared this idea  ·   ·  Report…  ·  Admin →

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  • Jennifer Gonzalez commented  ·   ·  Report

    Also, it seems like with this new update, outbound hyperlinks are taking between 20 and 60 seconds to respond. This is absolutely ridiculous.

  • Ted Converse commented  ·   ·  Report

    Any response from Adobe on this message board?! NOPE. FU Adobe.

  • Luiz Filipe Guimarães commented  ·   ·  Report

    I just hate this change so, so much. It seems to me that the ones responsible for it do not use the application. It makes no sense.

  • Dark Storm commented  ·   ·  Report

    This new UI is horrible. The contact points for actions are scattered all around the screen. Can't find anything. Put it back the way it was. There was no need to be creative. Leave that to us, the customers. You focus on software that works.

  • Anthony Stanners commented  ·   ·  Report

    This panel change is ridiculous. I can’t get used to it. I absolutely hate it with all my heart.

  • Zoltán Karner commented  ·   ·  Report

    What's the point of modifications if they only annoy users??!! Changing the left and right panels is also completely pointless! We are wasting time trying to solve the problem and restore the old version!

  • Jesper Donnis commented  ·   ·  Report

    WHY did they move some controls (like zoom) to a new place?
    The new UI LOOKS good, but the UX is horrid.

  • Stefan Link commented  ·   ·  Report

    Thank you for sharing the info, that there is this magic button back to the good UI, I was so frustrated with the new UI, this made my day! :-)

  • Hawi commented  ·   ·  Report

    20240109-1836 UTC

    Window 10 (64)

    Deactivating the new Adobe look does not work

    Hi,

    I try to deactivate the new Adobe look, but every time it pops up again! Even the new version takes up to 20 seconds to load. Unbelievable.
    I think it's really time for more regulation to prevent this kind of nuissance programming. A pure waste of time, millions of users lose millions of hours solving such problems caused by this kind of IT terror.

    intervalqwert

  • Rene Andritsch commented  ·   ·  Report

    I have been using Acrobat professionally for 2 decades and I’m sure a lot of work went into the redesign. This is unfortunate. So far I did not meet a single colleague who kept the “new” Acrobat UI. Swapping places of important navigation elements is something that brakes a workflow if you are used to doing it for a long time. And also putting some of the most used tools to the bottom right corner is a decision I cannot comprehend. Users tend to have their mouse cursor in the top part of a document and also close to the menus.

  • Dirk Henning commented  ·   ·  Report

    "Swapping left and right-hand panels for no reason" This is so mad, how do you come up with such thing?

  • Richard Craven commented  ·   ·  Report

    Well, the file attachment didn't work out; too bad. Maybe it's available from Adobe archives.

  • Richard Craven commented  ·   ·  Report

    Sooo, we'll see how this works out. Attaching file...
    I offer this with no guarantees or warranties. As is.

  • Richard Craven commented  ·   ·  Report

    OMG, OMG! I recovered it, it's back!
    I keep most of my downloaded install files, which included AdbeRdr11010_en_US.exe . After de-installing Adobe from my (Win 7) system I ran that older file. It expanded into Reader 11.0.10.
    I tested it with my 2,124-page Principles of Operation pdf. There it was, my familiar GUI with comments on right and bookmarks on left! Oh, I am so relieved. Work has been very difficult up to now.
    PLUS, there is an option at the end of the install to restrict updating. You can guess how I set that! My very best wishes that you all may find this version. I just gave myself a great holiday present.

  • Evelyn Perdue commented  ·   ·  Report

    I was a daily and intensive user of Adobe Acrobat, and I have become so disoriented and frustrated with this new version.

  • Petra Bryan commented  ·   ·  Report

    I want a way to hide the toolbar or move it (preferably dock it like before), as it currently slows down some of my work as it is placed now.

  • Nick Harvey commented  ·   ·  Report

    the new e-signiture gui and send changes are not effective. for example, when you already have places signitures panels in the document, these are ignored in the update and new e-signatures panels have to be added. This is frustrating as they also need to be resized accordingly. Our issue is compounded as we have documents with multiple panels for signiture, now I have to place each one. The new process requires extra effort, so it's not an "upgrade" on the previous. It also makes little sense to split the process to add persons to the document. Instead of doing it all in one go, its now split into two stages for signitures and copying people in - terrible choices all round; but I suppose it is consistent with the other terrible changes you have been making recently. I'd use a different product if there was an alternative - you've opened the door to potential churn of customers.

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