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:
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.
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.
The left panel is permanently positioned on the screen and obscures part of the document below. Seriously Adobe, WTF.
The entire menu/panel system can't be customized, moved, or docked. Another WTF.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Revert the interface back to what it was.
Fix Acrobat's bugs. There are so many!
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.
Bevi Chagnon | PubCom.com
shared this idea
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Eric Marciniak commented
New interface is garbage. Don't know why you would move absolutely everything around for no reason.
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Denny Esford commented
db,
Adobe has ignored us for awhile now. On February 06, 2024, I even sent a cover letter on my law firm letterhead as its President accompanied by 500 pages of hard copy to Adobe's VP of Product Development with our concerns. Via FedEx to prove he got it. Crickets. Since Adobe is not paying attention anyway, we might as well use this space to share other pdf products that compete with Adobe. -
db commented
Maybe inappropriate here, but I have moved to PDF Studio 2024 Pro and while overstimulating, it has everything I need at a fraction of the price.
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SAM NIMA commented
Freaking Acrobat 24 Pro sucks, cant do simple functions, everthing is everywhere, some pops about their author review auto check comments, and many other bugs just randomly pop-ups jesus christ wtf
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Becky Rice commented
Ditch the 2023 User Interface in Acrobat" is a solution for users who find the new, minimalistic design less efficient, especially when handling important tasks like the https://sassastatuscheckr370.co.za application. The update has made navigation and tool access more complicated for some users. Reverting to an older interface or customizing the layout can help streamline workflows and improve productivity.
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Alan Bennett commented
I hate the new layout. I just want to use the software. Every time I turn around somebody wants to be changing something. How about we make things that work and then we leave them alone. Life is already too complicated.
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I hate the new layout. I just want to use the software. Every time I turn around somebody want to be changing something. How about we make things work and then we leave them alone. Life is already too complicated.
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Harry Magnan commented
I'd like to see the Adobe A|B testing on the new interface. I have a hard time believing users preferred the new UI.
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Alice Sollazzo commented
Dear page previews are missing from all my Adobe portfolios. I need to have this back
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InstyButte Typesetting2 commented
Yay. We're starting to get comments from bots... I bet they generate more attention from Adobe than the actual users' comments.
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Michael Wong commented
A significant number of self-proclaimed designers have limited practical experience with their own designs. Consequently, they lack a deep understanding of their products' inherent strengths and weaknesses. This is a widespread problem that extends beyond the software industry.
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Anonymous
commented
Did you guys just give the UI to interns to update, when they've never used the product?
Which customer surveys did you leverage to justify making this massive UI update? I pretty much don't want to use this product anymore it's so bad.
The tool bars keep overlapping content (so dumb and should never have made it past simple user acceptance testing (if you did any), there is so much other screen real-estate that you're wasting, why cover the content and make it so that the users can't control their own toolbars?) The popping on and off of tools and bars is infuriating! I don't need context-based tools. I need consistent UI and always-there tools. This is a productivity business tool, not an art tool.
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Martin Mako commented
I really dont get it how and why recent few years many companies fuckup all their applications, making whole GUI no more accurate, readable, efficient and so on. In simple graish gray for colorblind people and with more clicks neccessary to do the same thing. How the meeting, when changing something, looks like?
- "What is working in our application?"
- "graphics"
- "ok, lets **** this thing so nobody wants to use it anymore" -
Alina DMark commented
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Uliya Yashtala commented
HATE.
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Starr Johnson
commented
This update to the Acrobat interface is disastrous. Adobe needs to make sure that users permanently have access to the classic layout. I work for a large company where many are terrified about the possibility of losing access to the old interface. It takes so much longer to complete tasks in the new interface even when we are familiar with the new interface. In our business, time is of the essence. All the responses to the feedback that indicate it's about getting used to the new layout do not apply in this case. Adobe needs to heed the words of the many users who have given the feedback that this new interface is problematic. If our comments are going to be disregarded, then who is Adobe Acrobat really for? Adobe?
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Eddie Deighton
commented
Over a year since this thread was posted and still no official response from Adobe, yet they continue to update with the latest interface, so I’m still keeping with the ‘classic’ version. Does this feedback get sent to the decision-makers or are the GUI design team hiding it for fear of not being able to justify their hard work? They’re probably too busy thinking about how to cram the latest unnecessary e-signature tools and real-world document collaboration in than bother about an industry that uses it for practical print production and presentations. Who are they surveying for these new ideas and layout? It’s shocking. There is such a detachment with what I need for my industry now, and no GUI consistency with the rest of the Creative Cloud apps. What is going on in this team's heads that prompts them to continue down this current path?
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Justin Ryder commented
The new interface is a terrible reversion of usability. DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR UX PERSON WHO IMPLEMENTED THIS! they are drinking the kool-aid
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luke burton commented
In celebration of the 800th vote, lets hope Adobe responds to us in some way that is constructive and helpful. Hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha hahaha!
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This an the Wish List for a Better Interface: Everything Bevi Chagnon put in the description is completely spot-on. I don't see how Need Info can realistically apply here. The info is right there - it couldn't be any clearer. Maybe it needs to be translated into Imbecile, so whoever designed the UI could understand it? Every time I use Acrobat now I get so angry I have to walk away for a minute and force myself to calm down. I don't think this is going to be getting any better. Waiting to celebrate the 800th vote...