In the past month Adobe has finally gotten clever enough to lock me out of using Bridge Version 8 from 2018, which without question had the best GUI interface of any. It would no longer allow me to invoke Camera Raw (well played Adobe). As a former GUI designer who is now forced to use the present versions of Bridge, I'm going to fully present the troublesome issues in clear detail in support of the many many users who have been asking for the same thing the past two years.
The Issues
Screen Usage Efficiency - There is simply too much padding and wasted space around all of the content. As designers, we have thousands of folders and files to navigate. We need to see LOTS of information at a time on our huge 4K monitors with minimal scrolling.
The Black Background on Thumbnails - You have seen many complaints about this, yet it is still here. Do these have a function? Would removing them cause problems we are not aware of? They take up space that could be used for a larger thumbnail. I also don't believe the designers considered that when the thumbnails are not square, the inefficiency of these backgrounds is worse. You can see this in my screenshots below.
Has this app been compromised because it needs to work on a tablet or phone? - Is there excessive padding and space because those using those devices need to operate it with their finger? If this is the case, then there needs to be a separate version for the professionals who are required to work on a computer. You know, you could always offer a 'Compact Layout' option in the settings. If you do this, MAKE IT COMPACT PLEASE.
Image 1 - This illustrates that even with minimum thumbnails, there's plenty of wasted space AND the thumbnails are too small to be of any value.
Image 2 - This image details exactly where the wasted space is, and to what degree. Here the thumbnails are at a minimum useful size, but the wasted space exceeds 50% of the file display area.
Image 3 - There is a slight bug in the 'dragging file' operation. The bottom of the black background is not active. You cannot grab the file at this location. You have to be at the thumbnail, or higher.
Conclusion
This presentation doesn't include anything that hasn't been requested by hundreds of users for the better part of 2 years. User posts have been acknowledged with replies that they will be considered in future revisions. Is there a chance that this will be considered this time? Design changes for the sake of change, or style that are to the detriment of productivity should not be allowed. Bridge is an immensely important front end to the Photoshop workflow. Drastic changes to it should be considered VERY judiciously.
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