I tend to read two different types of complaints: Complaints veering more about GUI aesthetics, and complains veering more about GUI function. Even though much of a mouse or touch-driven computer interface’s function is based on appearance/aesthetics, it’s easy to just lump the two together but they are often two entirely different things.
In fact, I wish I had a sense of how many enthusiasts who complained around 2012 over their disdain of green felt, stitched leather, and wood grain aesthetics in the iOS6 interface (rather purely aesthetic complains) then abhorred much of the made-up reworked interface‘s functional interactions...
When someone dismisses that complainers should just move on from what is considered functional steps backwards, then many of us find those responses to be rather short-sighted and not worth much merit.
Myself personally, I never stuttered too much about changes to things like icons, the trash can, the dock, folders colors, etc., even if I didn’t like some of those changes. But that’s just me, and I won’t discount someone who can’t tolerate the new trash can or dock, especially because often the old way was not any less functional than the new way; the new way was just different-looking, whose biggest merit was perhaps keeping Apple’s programmers engaged and Apple’s marketing team happy. I do admit I miss the “lickable” stoplight buttons that were very Apple-esque, and I very much don’t like the Fisher Price My First Computer flat design stoplight buttons that provide no unique differentiation between Apple and that of any preschool craft hour involving hole punches and colored paper.
But for me, I’m terribly aggravated when certain changes more rooted about function (whether driven by aesthetics or not) result in noticeably decreased efficiency, more eye/mental strain etc. Examples of functional step backwards rooted in aesthetics would be much of the wasted space in the menu bar in Big Sur (and how it’s sometimes difficult to quickly differentiate stacked windows when the borders & content are all the same grey-ish color), flat design in general, low-contrast all white/grey interfaces, light grey or light brown text on white, ”text as buttons,” etc. Functional steps backwards not necessarily rooted directly in aesthetics would include requiring 2 or 3 swipes/taps to do what used to take 1, hiding often-used tools under layers of hamburger, ellipse, or gear icons (sometimes requiring trying all 3 to find the damn command/tool), reworking spotlight search to where the window covers up the work area instead of staying contained to the top right corner like before, etc. I can’t say it’s “ok” to just tell someone to bite the bullet and accept the new dock or icons, but when any aesthetic change results in less/harder function than before to where it feels like the interface is getting in the way for many, then it means nothing to just say just accept it. Or, you’re shortchanging yourself in the understanding of others if you don’t recognize to differentiate complaints about GUI aesthetics to complaints over functional steps backwards.
