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[video] Photoshop CS4 Interface (Adobe says not mandatory to use)

A few weeks ago, I read John Nack’s personal blog discussing Adobe’s intentions to release CS4, along with a new and “improved?” interface.

“We’ve been working hard to make the interfaces of the various apps more consistent. Because the Adobe Fireworks and Dreamweaver betas are available on Adobe Labs, you can now see some of the interface changes that will appear in the next version of Photoshop as well. I’d like to address some of the concerns and questions I hear bubbling up. In particular, I hope to put Mac users’ minds at ease about a few things.” John explains.

“I believe Adobe teams need to work hard to make their products feel like polished, native citizens on each OS. Deviation from the norm for its own sake is unhelpful. Having said that, OS conventions should support innovation, not stifle it. If we can improve functionality (e.g. enabling more flexible document resizing) without imposing any burden (extra UI chrome, etc.), why shouldn’t we? Our job is about functionality, not ideology. Whatever works best, wins. Obviously the Apple development teams feel free to depart from strict adherence to the baseline OS when they feel that doing so would benefit their customers. I’d argue that Adobe teams should have similar latitude.” He continues to explain.


The designers pointed out that the app frame has a number of advantages:

• It facilitates N-up (2-up, 3-up, etc.) document layouts that adapt as you adjust the interface. Think “live window tiling”–great for comparing, compositing, etc.
• It makes it easier to move the entire application and its contents, including from one monitor to another.
• It prevents documents from getting obscured by panels (palettes).
• It blocks out the contents of the desktop, minimizing visual clutter. (A number of Mac users have requested this option for many years. I’ve known quite a few people who open a small blank document, hit F to put it into full-screen mode, and then put it into the background to hide the desktop. Willingness to live with that kind of hack demonstrates some genuine desire for a real fix.)

Here is a quick video demo of the new interface in action.

I definitely have some initial nervousness and apprehension when hearing news about an interface change to a staple application like Photoshop. “There are enough learning curves that we have to deal with throughout our lives, Photoshop should be careful not to drastically change anything,” I thought to myself. But, after watching this video and seeing the screenshot of the new Interface, I’m kind of excited. Additionally, the fact that Adobe makes this new user interface an option to use is hugely beneficial to users who may be scared to make the jump.

It seems as though Adobe’s future plans are being met with some resistance, understandably. The idea to turn the new interface into a preference/option for us to choose/experiment with is a great move. It sets a re-assuring feeling in my head that even though there may be changes, I won’t be forced to use them (or learn how to work with them) within my current workflow.

Please note: There’s been no public timeframe for the release of this next version of Adobe’s Photoshop, but there were some contested claims of an October release target. The next Mac version of Photoshop has been announced to remain a 32-bit application. 64-bit support is expected on the subsequent version for the Mac, MacRumors reports.