How to go back to the old interface?

[lmonje]

It is quite disappointing logging into the new interface today. Already it has caused inconvenience to its users and I hope users will get the option to choose the interface that works best for them. 

One major issue is the inability to sort workspaces in the order you want, which can make it challenging to find specific workspaces quickly, especially if you have many of them. Another issue is the inability to rearrange bases by dragging and dropping, which was a convenient feature that saved users time and effort. 

Furthermore, when you click on any workspace interface, accessing the home page is not as easy as it used to be. This can be frustrating for users who need to quickly navigate to the home page to access essential features and information.

Lastly, some users may feel that the new interface looks outdated compared to the previous version. The visual aspect of an interface can be just as important as its functionality. A modern and visually appealing interface can make users feel more comfortable and engaged with the platform. If the new interface looks outdated, it may negatively impact user engagement and satisfaction, leading them to search for alternatives that offer a more visually appealing and modern interface.

In conclusion, while change is inevitable, it is important for platforms to ensure that any new interface meets the needs of its users and improves their experience. This includes balancing both functionality and design to create an interface that is both easy to use and visually appealing.

[Alexander_McArt]

I cannot stand the new interface. What a horrible transition, no continuity!

[Sergei_RasKar]

I totally agree with @lmonje 
The new interface is disgusting. It definitely lacks the manual sorting options. It has redundant info about last base modifications. It's a total mess if you have many workspaces and bases
Moreover, the Airtable's approach to change everything without any warning or roll-back options is really scary. 
People are keeping their crucial data and running businesses on Airtable - it can't just change one morning like weather!!

[Sergei_RasKar]

To be more specific:
- there must be a way to manually sort the order the workspaces and bases, not only by date/alphabet
- interfaces and bases must be visually separated (by color or by position)

[Russ · Accepted solution]

I searched this post looking for a way to get back to what we had. What a disaster this new interface is. I don't know if it is my neurodivergent brain running the show, but I open the the AirTable and my brain freezes. I cant find where things are anymore. They are not in the base and if you get them base by base, they are not in the order I need them in. I had these in very specific orders of what I needed to work on and when. This new system is a nightmare. I've been using AirTable since 2015. I've watched the erosion of what we have access to for free, and I've seen things change the in the credit we get for signing up someone new. All of this I can deal with, however my work feels all over the place now. Like I have a messy desk of files everywhere rather in nice neat piles. I don't use this word often but I HATE the new layout. I have three businesses running out of AirTable that was completely organised in AirTable until this happened. Now all three businesses are mixed into one with the last one I used going to the front. What a mess. 

Looks like I need to go back to excel. It will be a slow transition, but they've never done anything as stupid as this. 

[Sergei_RasKar]

An option to use the old home page is completely removed - after all negative reactions the new home page got, it's a huge spit into AT users' faces. 
Do you really realize what you are doing. Airtable is not just a funny mobile app - it's a system used for businesses, where multiple people on different level of qualification are using it on daily basis to make money! 
How do you imagine a company with 10+ employees that see its software one precious morning totally redesigned?! Have you ever taught office personnel to use a database?! You don't even imagine how hard it is for somebody to grasp a complicated system and how lost they can get if something changes!
Looks like you're targeting those users who use Airtable as a shopping check-list, not companies and businesses, but then why all this mess with scripts, interfaces, extensions marketplaces?

Looks like all AT developers should think well about backing up their clients' data... AT is not on the rise anymore. Or what?)

[Russ]

How did this get into the "solved" section. It's not solved. It still looks like crap that I am still grappling with. Get the old interface back.
I used to teach Indonesian staff to use this. Then when everything changed, I'm back to do all the work myself. 

[jranunti]

I agree this is horrible.  Totally unusable. I'm going back to Excel too.

[Ashbash_]

Anyone know any alternatives to airtable, i absolutely cannot stand this new redesign. 

It looks outdated and disorganized

[Russ]

When you find something, please come back here and let all of us know. 

Thanks Ashbash_

[Barak_Almog]

If I could upvote a 1000 times each one of the upset responses here I would.

I own an automation agency which specializes in Airtable based solutions. In the last ~3 years or so we built hundreds of bases for my own business as well as our clients.

Airtable is an amazing solution to a need that was previously unanswered, but is far from perfect. The biggest issue with the platform is the vendor-lock pricing. You can do a lot with the free tier, but once you start paying (and all of my clients are in the PRO tier), then each new team member digs a deeper hole in our pockets.

This was somewhat understandable when bundled with the business benefits of using the platform, but you'd expect something in return.

The last UI change feels like a slap in the face - like others mentioned it's uneasy to navigate, scrambles the nice workspaces and bases order we've created over the years, mixes Interfaces and Bases, adds unnecessary clicks to any navigation between bases, and makes it overall really hard to use the software.

And while not related directly to functionality I'll add, like others said, that the new UI is embarrassingly ugly - 2015 web design is a compliment - not a deal breaker, but if I owned my design team manager would have to answer some difficult questions.

Airtable should acknowledge that new valid competitors spring up daily like mushrooms, and I'm sure many of the users are already testing out alternatives - first and foremost for pricing considerations, but then there's everything else I just mentioned.

I won't name any to not get this response removed, but a simple Google Search is enough to get a few leading names.

Airtable - Either solve the issues mentioned above, or revert to the old, much better interface. Internet loyalty is a myth.

[Rachel_Penner]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who is despising the redesign of Airtable "home." It's a total mess, both from an organizing/functionality perspective and from a visual perspective.

The "Home" is 100% useless: why are they stealing the (bad) Google Drive standard design of displaying items by most recently opened?

And the "All workspaces" option is just about as bad. Now I have to click through and load several screens to see all the bases in one of my workspaces. The visual design is so bulky, with so many extra boxes and lines , that the whole thing feels cluttered and is hard to scan.

The best workaround I've found is to star my most used bases and access them via the sidebar. I don't even look at any of the other screens. But I know this doesn't work for those with more bases and workspaces.

[M_Gohar_Shafiqu]

New design sucks big time. I am shifting to Coda after this pathetic UI update.
- So much overload on brain to navigate (I have so many workspaces and bases which takes me a few minutes to find the right one and sometimes losing focus on what I was finding, especially if you cant remember the name of base then the search bar because useless)
- old design was so good and easy
- previously it was easy to see more bases in one workspace (due to design icon took less real estate)

[Russ]

Exactly. 

Tell me more about this Coda. I will shift to that as well if it was like AirTable used to be.

[Gokula_Krishnan]

Hi,

When can we get back the previous HOME screen on Airtable, the new look and feel isnt growing and its such a pain. Common Airtable Product team, do you NOT listen to your customers? The List view sucks. the inability to move bases and group them is important for some of us who may have up to 30 or 40 bases.

My entire team is complaining about this....is this NOT going to be an option?

G