Adobe Acrobat New Layout as Aug 2023

[Iain_Bruichladdich]

I am always a little stunned when without any warning, a piece of software that I use on a daily basis and have the need to move through quickly, decides, seemingly without any user consultation to roll out a new version with a completely different layout, look and feel.

This is precisely why people are leaving Adobe in droves for alternative software.

Thankfully someone around the Adobe boardroom table must have said, I really think people will be upset by this change and maybe, we need to give them a route back for now to the previous look, a look lets not forget, that they will all be familiar with and will be used to and able to work in efficiently having used it for many years, rather than making such a drastic change to the whole thing with no backsies.

I for one will be reverting mine to the older layout as the new layout is just too unfamilier and different for me to use efficently in my working day.

To revert to the old look, simply select revert to old look in view menu. at least they got that right this time.

[Amal.]

Hi @Iain_Bruichladdich ,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your feedback about the new Acrobat experience. I understand that you're not finding it as intuitive as the previous version, and I want to assure you that we're taking your feedback seriously.

We're always working to improve our products, and your feedback is an important part of that process. I will forward your comments to the design team, and they'll be taking them into account as they continue to develop the new Acrobat experience.

In the meantime, I'd like to offer you some help getting the most out of the new interface. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• The new interface is designed to be clutter-free, so you can quickly focus on your document.
• The menu bar, toolbar, and panels have been streamlined, and the tools are organized more logically.
• You can customize the interface to your preferences.

For more info, please go through the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/new-acrobat-experience.html

I hope this helps! If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks,

Amal

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Huh.

I wonder how many actual users would agree that "the new interface is designed to be clutter-free, so you can quickly focus on your document" when it's permnently covered by toolbars that can't be moved or resized.

Or that "the tools are organized more logically" when nearly all of those who've commented have said they can't find the tools they need to use. Wall-to-wall indistinguishable icons is part of the problem.

You can see more comments from real users — and add your own — at https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/47082691-ditch-t...

[NIgel D Hill]

How is it "logical" to have the previous view tool hidden deeply away on the menu button, without any ability to relocate it to the main interface to assist with navigation? How was drastically restricting the ability to customise tools "intuitive"?  It seems pretty obvious that adobe's main problem is that it has customers. Hopefully, the new interface will solve this problem and a new disruptor line Canva will step in to creat something more customer focussed...

[JR Boulay]

In Acrobat related forums the most popular answer right now is to go back to the old interface:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/i-want-to-revert-to-a-previous-version-of-acrobat...

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

And here are detailed instructions on how to revert to the previous interface:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-2023-how-to-revert-to-classic-gui-user-in...

[Dennis320899176jo2]

I'd like to say the revert to old look works but I cannot find it on the new layout.

My opinion is the software people in the whole industry really have no clue as to what users think.

Maybe a good start would be a survey of what people think of changes.

[AnandSri]

Hi All!

Hope you are doing well.

We acknowledge that the new Acrobat represents a notable change; however, we hope that as you get familiar with the new interface, you can be more productive and get more out of Acrobat.

We are actively working on any unavailable features, such as customizing the All Tools positioning or user interface. And we will address them with the highest priority. 

As you get more comfortable with the new interface, please contact us with specific questions on tools, features, or functionalities. We’re happy to provide helpful resources and answers to your questions.

If your critical workflows are impacted, you can switch to the old UI from the “Menu” on the top left corner of Windows OS and View Menu on MacOS. We will follow up with a detailed community-featured post, guiding you to familiarise yourself with the new interface and regular updates on upcoming changes.

~Anand Sri

[JonGriffinLV]

well you failed.

[Mike36199716bbbt]

I'm not more productive when all the tools and menus have been relocated and hidden. 

Consider: Adobe Acrobat has been in use for 31 years. An intuitive, high-productivity user interface is an interface that the user is familiar with and Acrobat's users have spent years (or decades) memorizing the old interface.

Verifying productivity gains with a select group of enthusiastic, early adopters and GUI experts will produce misleading results because those alpha and beta testers are not representative of the user population at large. For users with decades of experience, productivity is a matter of muscle memory and ingrained skills, not "decluttered interfaces" or "modern user experience."

I'd hope that Adobe learns from the mistakes of Windows in constantly changing the user interface.

[Lulu32296185qsoc]

Agreed, very well said. If only they would listen. But what do we know,
we only are those that use the product every day.

[JonGriffinLV]

Horrible, and the worst UI I've seen in a long time. 

Please return to the normal UI. 

This is crap.

Remember WordPerfect and Lotus 123? Don't think you are not replacable. 
WTF is this?

I'm not a 20 something that can read fine print.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

I'm not a 20 something that can read fine print.

By @JonGriffinLV

Surprise, but now 20-somthings need reading glasses. All those years on tiny screens has affected their eyesight. "20" is the new "45."

[JonGriffinLV]

There is no revert to old look in Windows version. I was hoping.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

There is no revert to old look in Windows version. I was hoping.

By @JonGriffinLV

Sure, you can revert in Windows and Mac versions. See instructions for both platforms here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-2023-how-to-revert-to-classic-gui-user-in...

[Andrea26936184ji2x]

I completely agree with everything this post says. The new UI is honestly so different and hard to figure out, espacially for mark-ups which I use daily. I really tried to use it but I can't even find the tool to do a text box with arrow and white background. I had to google to find how to revert to the old UI. And if there wasn't that option, I would have seriously considered getting another pdf editing software, as the new UI is really really bad and impacts productivity significantly. It still puzzles me how your UI designer could get it so wrong. 

[S. S]

Hi @Andrea26936184ji2x,

Thank you for your valuable feedback! We're always looking for ways to make Acrobat better.

The new Acrobat provides a simplified viewing experience and easy-to-discover PDF tools, which are intuitively grouped and are a click away. We acknowledge that the new Acrobat represents a notable change; however, we hope that as you get familiar with the new interface, you can be more productive and get more out of Acrobat.

As you get more comfortable with the new interface, please contact us with specific questions on tools, features, or functionalities. We’re happy to provide helpful resources and answers to your questions.

If your critical workflows are impacted, you can switch to the old UI from the “Menu” on the top left corner of Windows and View Menu on MacOS. We will follow up with a detailed community-featured post, guiding you to familiarise yourself with the new interface and regular updates on upcoming changes.

-Souvik

[NIgel D Hill]

"previous view" is not a clieck away. It is hidden in Menu, then to Page Navigation and then to Previous view. First of all, of course you need to find itas it "intuitively:) is not in the "all tools" section. Of course you cant add it to the floating tool thingy or anywhere else either. Tell me how this will make me "more productive"?

[JR Boulay]

There is a well-known French saying:

LE MIEUX EST L'ENNEMI DU BIEN

(THE BEST IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD)

[Naseeb28867051fvqh]

Swtich from New Adobe Acrobat Reader to Old  | Restore Menu Bar in Adobe Reader
https://youtu.be/zFkjvUxkSS0

[Catherine221361639o64]

Thank you for posting the how-to to revert to the old layout.

I know 'HATE' is a strong word, but here we are; I absolutely, hate, detest, abhor and loathe this new layout. 

It is not functional, helpful, cute, or fun.

Having piloted new software for companies in the past, I'm at a loss as to how this new layout was seen as a benefit. Switching from side to side and bottom right corner for key elements in the program, and making everything smaller, to boot is abosolutely assinine. There are no efficiencies here. 

Please Adobe, focus on improvements, and as always, if it's not broke, don't 'fix' it.

Can we go back to the old way permanently now?

[VaughnByrd21]

THANK YOU! It's bad enough that Premiere is now saving linked files to folders assigned by dates so that we have to find and re-link every time we re-open...this is a God-Send!

[Lulu32296185qsoc]

Your new format is not user friendly.  It is even more cluttered and non-intuitive.  Did you test this on any users other than your employees?  Looking to see where else I can turn to get what I need rather than use this new update.  Very disappointing.

[shawng88252220]

P.U.!  Who let this one out?  Seems like this one hit an echo chamber of yes-men before being rolled out.  The look-feel is awful...can't say enough bad things about this. BOO!

[boba99]

I no longer see a "view" button on the menu it's just "all tools" "edit" and "convert" and "sign"