Photoshop's challenges with focus, pt. 2
3 days ago
- #Software Criticism
- #User Interface
- #Photoshop
- The 'focus mode' from part 1 was renamed to 'quiet mode' and moved in the UI, but remains confusing and ineffective.
- Photoshop's 'modern user interface' (Spectrum) in 2026 shows issues with focus and usability, including fields not being focused on opening and values not pre-selected.
- Problems include hover-focus discrepancies, error modals disrupting workflow, and tabbing navigation that includes unnecessary stops.
- Undoing after slider movement no longer works due to keyboard shortcuts being swallowed, and other UI elements feel cheap or buggy.
- The refresh is criticized as awful work, reflecting carelessness and a failure to respect users' needs, with many solved problems being reintroduced.
- Suggestions for improvement include replacing error modals with tooltips, adding equation support, and improving shortcut visibility.
- An option to disable the modern UI exists, but it feels like a temporary fix rather than a solution, with the interface showing a lack of care.