"New Acrobat" - Bookmarks, Thumbnails now forced to right side - Why?

[mikeyjames1967]

Hey All,

Any idea why the designers felt the need to swap the sides where tools appear in the "New Acrobat"? I find it very annoying to be working on a large document and having the bookmarks and thumbnails on the right-hand side and there seems to be no way to get it back to the left. 

Why is it that companies like Adobe and Microsoft, etc. feel it is a clever idea to force changes on people for no apparent reason. All this does is make the product feel awkward to use and annoy customers. We have been using Acrobat with bookmarks and thumbnails on the left for a long time and it feels unnatural and weird. 

I know if we use it long enough, we will get used to it, but why should we have to? I would understand if there were massive productivity gains for sticking with it, but there isn't, it's a forced change for nothing other than some designer thought it looks good.

At least give us an option about what side we want tools on. 

I hope someone at Adobe reads this and passes on the feedback.

Mick

[moderator corrected a typo as of OP's request]

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

It is a new feature:

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/acrobat/using/new-acrobat-experience.html 

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com · Accepted solution]

You can revert to the previous "classic" interface (with the bookmarks back on the left) following the instructions for Mac and Windows listed here:

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

[mikeyjames1967]

Meant to say "Hey All" but can't figure how to edit posts here. Any help appreciated. 

[Abambo]

Meant to say "Hey All" but can't figure how to edit posts here. Any help appreciated. 

By @mikeyjames1967

Beginners can't edit posts. You need to wait to climb the ranks before being able to do that. That's a feature, not a bug.

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

It is a new feature:

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/acrobat/using/new-acrobat-experience.html 

[mikeyjames1967]

Yes, I know it is part of the "New Acrobat". My point is, why change the sides tools are on? It adds absolutely nothing to the user experience, nor does it increase productivity. All it does is force the user to get used to tools being on the opposite side of the page/doc they are working on.  

I do actually like the fresh new look but find it odd we wouldn't be given an option which side we want the tools on. 

[Bernd Alheit]

You can disable it.

[mikeyjames1967]

Do you mean "Disable New Acrobat" option? Yes, but sooner or later I'm sure that option will disappear. 

[Shridhar29252301vh6w]

But I like the overall look of the new Acrobat, I just want my bookmarks on the left. Most modern software, even some of Adobe's own, give you a degree of flexibility in how the interface is organized. If the designers felt the need to reverse a layout that users have grown accustomed to for years, the least they could do is make it customizable. Haven't you failed at UX design if the only answer to a common complaint is, "disable our new design"?

[Abambo]

But I like the overall look of the new Acrobat, I just want my bookmarks on the left.

By @Shridhar29252301vh6w

You can't have both, the butter and the money for the butter.

[Shridhar29252301vh6w]

The new UI is not mutually exclusive with bookmarks being on the left. The only reason I can't have both is because Adobe's UX designers arbitrarily decided the bookmarks have to be on the right and only the right. And the whole point of my comment was that this is a failure in UX design. Unless you can give me a compelling reason for why the new configuration is superior 

[Rohinad]

Thank you for that!

[asuperstore]

Just opened Acrobat to find this, [moderator: abuse removed.] made this design choice? Western world reads left to right, if there job is to make it harder to find what looking for, they've succeeded. [moderator: abuse removed.] that thought of this!

[asuperstore]

Within minutes found you can revert back to old version in menu, but still an updated piece of software where you're forced to revert back to old as worse?! 

[Gass3k]

I cant understand this change either, i could understand making it easy to set it up how you want. ( if you prefer to swap these features on your own) but to force a new setup for the sake of a "new" look, seems slightly tyranical. maybe a bit harsh, but if adobe could explain its decision with any logical reasoning maybe i could look past this. PLEASE ADOBE, MAKE IT SO THIS IS AN OPTION, NOT A DECISION.

[Gass3k]

once again had to revert to old adobe after updating. i have also been seeing similar threads become locked because an adobe employee decided that the top answer should be " get used it".

We all understand that we will get used to the new setup. The point is that there is no benefit in it. Make it customizable, so that we can swap them at will. I WANT to use new acrobat, but i will delay it as long as possible to avoid "getting used" to an arbitrary swapping of toolbars. 

Maybe you guys could take a break from drooling over A.I. and actually listen to the humans that use your products.

[what_]

Got to agree - absolutely a move that adds nothing to UX

[abuse removed by moderator]

[Mary31841628cgbc]

Figured out how to revert Adobe view to previous version. There was an option under the menu in the top left corner that says Disable new Acrobat.

[Peter318625595j7v]

Thanks this has been driving me crazy!!  Who has bookmarks on the right??

[381randi]

Where is this option? I can't seem to find it. Can you spell it out a bit more. I'd appreciate it. 

[Mary31841628cgbc]

It was under the file menu in approximately the location where it says Revert in the snip below.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com · Accepted solution]

You can revert to the previous "classic" interface (with the bookmarks back on the left) following the instructions for Mac and Windows listed here:

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

[381randi]

Thank you! That is what I needed. I hope they don't make this a problem moving forward. The Thumbnails just make more sense on the left so I can view notes on the right. I need them both at the same time. Fingers crossed Adobe does not force this on us. 

[Mohamed3240363638gc]

Figured out how to revert Adobe view to previous version. There was an option under the menu in the top left corner that says Disable new Acrobat.

[JR Boulay]

Yes I've never seen any reader software (PDF, eBook, ePub, etc.) with the bookmarks panel on the right.
It's so anti-ergonomic that it should seem obvious, even to Acrobat developers.

[Abambo]

Yes I've never seen any reader software (PDF, eBook, ePub, etc.) with the bookmarks panel on the right.
It's so anti-ergonomic that it should seem obvious, even to Acrobat developers.

By @JR Boulay

Some ten years ago, I was involved in a website design (as a “consultant”). The probably very expensive user interface experts had found out that having the website menus to the right was more ergonomic. Don't argue with experts.