P: UI looks old. Please update.

[chilledout]

Hi Adobe,

The Lightroom Classic desktop UI looks incredibly outdated. I'm not sure there's good reason for this given its popularity. Please update the user interface to match your other software like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign etc.

A modern, lean styling would not only look better, it would be more competitive with alternatives, and it would provide additional screen real estate for users.

Thank you.

[KR Seals]

Sometimes I see comments like this. Can you explain why you feel this way. What would an updated UI look like and still maintain the functionality? I understand you are specifically speaking about Lightroom Classic. Have you tried Lightroom?

[F. McLion]

What is the use case for a more modern UI ... what's the gain for you/any user?

IHMO, the UI is very ok. They should rather work on the speed of the application.

[JohanElzenga]

There are a huge number of Lightroom Classic video tutorials on Youtube, written tutorials on websites and books about Lightroom Classic. A different UI just for the sake of making Lightroom Classic 'more modern' would mean that these tutorials become obsolete and the confusion between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom (cloud) would probably become worse. So no, please do not change the IU. We need improvements of the functionality, not eye candy.

[chilledout]

Thanks for all the comments.

To be clear, I’m referring purely to style and appearance, not function. I am suggesting Adobe make the appearance of the UI look like the rest of Adobe software.

Screenshots below to illustrate a few examples.

Sure, it doesn’t affect function. Does a beautiful UI actually matter? Does beautiful design matter? Subjective, but aesthetics have a role to play and software designers know this.

I agree that Lr Classic could be improved in many functional ways. Example: an improvement to the spot healing tool to match the accuracy and speed of photoshop.

But again, here I’m referring only to the look, that is totally separate from functionality.

My suggestion in a nutshell: keep everything else the same, just make it look like it was made in 2022. As it stands, Lr Classic looks the way Adobe software looked many years ago.

Thanks.

[F. McLion]

Regarding the tabs: You can hide these, permanently or "auto-hide". That is how I gain more space, since I don't need them anyway.

Use the keyboard shortcuts to work in LrC - suggested way of working. You can hide and un-hide most parts of the screen simply with hitting a key. Also, to change modules or directly open a specific develop tool.

My 0.02 ... Keyboard shortcuts are key in LrC.

[JohanElzenga]

Some of the things you mention are actually already implemented. Try this: Go to 'Window - Screen Mode - Full Screen with Menu Bar'.

[GoldingD]

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, as in v1, was created as a program for photographers to manage photo filing and post process images. For photographers, not for Graphics Designers. One key point being at that time simplicity over the complexity in Photoshop.

The GUI was set up with menu bar modules appropriate to functions to occur in post processing, and left and right panels for a logical workflow, note that in the develop module, in the right side panel for one, top to bottom is in a logical progression in terms of process workflow steps.

Photoshop was seen as to cumbersome, to convoluted, and with lots of capability not used by photographers, Oh their are pro's that will call this BS. but most LrC users hardly enter PS, they just do so for a few things not done well in LrC.

Adobe has enough hate from users unhappy with bugs, lack of capability's compared with competitors, poor customer service, etc. So they are not likely to make such changes to the UI, that could lead to a mass immigration to Capture One, ON1 Photo RAW, etc.

Now some things could improve that users would appreciate. Selection of fonts and text size for one.

[chilledout]

Yes, as a professional photographer I already use all shortcuts etc.

For fear of my point being missed, I am simply asking Adobe: why? Neglecting the most basic UI updates signals to me as a user that Adobe doesn’t care that much about Lr Classic.

Despite the loyal user base and use case of Lr Classic, Lr Cloud is getting all the attention.

[JohanElzenga]

Lightroom Classic is getting quite a lot of attention. It's just that the team concentrates on features rather than eye candy. I guess most Lightroom Classic users prefer it that way, because you do not seem to get many people agreeing with you so far.  BTW: this is what Lighroom Classic looks like if you use Full Screen with Menubar. That is a lot more like Premiere Pro.