Introducing a new app switcher

I like the current way personally, super intuitive and saves on horizontal space

I’ve got used to the new way, but having the icons without need for keyboard command or two clicks seems better.  To the point made by Mason, what if the icons could live in the are currently occupied by the drop down, thus both saving horizontal space, and removing the need to hide the various apps in a drop down..? 

I too have some concerns about the horizontal space as I tend to keep Front open on one screen with another app to the left of it. However, I am not a fan of having to click multiple times to navigate. I would be very eager to try this out on my Front account if you can enable it for me. Having easy one click navigation for me outweighs the small horizontal loss of space. 

I like this new design, but I also haven’t minded using the keyboard to navigate in the current experience. Could the keyboard shortcuts be retained even if new icons are added?

I preferred the original layout with the icons across the top menu so we don’t impact horizontal space. However, I like this much better than I like the current dropdown. My team and I all use analytics and calendar heavily and the dropdown is a pain point. Personally, this change was implemented while i was on leave, but I’ve been back for 2 months now and I’m still not used to it. It just doesn’t feel intuitive, especially with settings separated out.

I really like mail, calendar, analytics, and settings being in a line together (even with the space separating settings)

How does this app switcher compare to the current app switcher?
The current dropdown switcher is functional, but not ideal for our team. It takes some getting used to, especially for users who work at a fast pace and are accustomed to clicking icons directly to move between menus. The new design with icons on the side is preferable since it’s more intuitive and reduces the number of clicks needed to navigate. 

How does this app switcher compare to using shortcuts to navigate?
Our team has a mix of users, some prefer keyboard shortcuts, while others rely heavily on the mouse. Shortcuts are always a great alternative, especially when there are mouse issues or for users who prefer keeping their hands on the keyboard. The key is flexibility.

Does this app switcher improve the efficiency of your workflows or commonly used actions?
Yes, the improved app switcher saves a click and streamlines navigation. Even small efficiency gains add up over time, so that’s a meaningful improvement for daily workflows.

I definitely like the new version better!  Agree with some other commenters that maybe along the top would retain horizontal screen space.

I really like having the icons back, but it sems to restrict the already in high demand horizontal space. Could this new left hand sidebar be eliminated and the icon configuration be rotated to instead restrict vertical space? 

Personally I like that it wouldn’t take two clicks to access the other apps (particularly settings), but I do share the horizontal space concerns—if it’s possible to compromise, that’s great, but if not, then I don’t have a strong opinion for or against the current and proposed.

I haven’t really been using the keyboard shortcuts, though, primarily because I’m mainly only accessing settings regularly and sequences on occasion.

This re-design makes a lot more sense. In the current UI the issue with the collapseable sidebar (which is a great focus mode) is that you lose access to all of your calendars, contacts etc.

This keeps the menu icons available whilst taking up minimal horizontal space. 
Much cleaner approach.

Yes, please make this happen in some way. I would also prefer the icons horizontally, but either way works as long as we have one click switching back. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback! I wanted to provide more context on the key design decisions behind this shift and address some of the comments.

1. About the left side placement

The app switcher on the left side is meant to serve as core, persistent navigation. It's how you’re able to switch between major apps, and it’s always there, providing anchor points across the product. If you ever want to work in focused mode (with the collapsed sidebar), the app switcher is still there for you to easily navigate to different apps without needing to expand the sidebar.

That being said, we are continuing to explore opportunities to consolidate or streamline components to maximize available screen real estate.

2. Moving the app switcher back to a top bar

We moved away from having the app switcher in the top bar because it took away valuable vertical space that is important for viewing and responding to conversations. Placing the app switcher on the top bar restricts the available space based on the width of the app window. The positioning on the left side provides a layout that isn’t as likely to be impacted by window resizing.

Additionally, this change is meant to help future-proof the platform. As our capabilities grow, we need a more scalable navigation pattern that can gracefully accommodate new features. In future iterations, this app switcher will allow us to handle new additions through familiar patterns like overflow menus or customization.

3. Retaining shortcuts

Shortcuts will still work as they do today. We don’t have plans to remove or change them.

Please keep the feedback coming!

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I was also a big fan of the top bar navigation. Maybe it’s just my setup (using the Windows Desktop app) but I don’t feel like we gained much vertical space with the removal of the navigation from the top bar. On the contrary, the old layout seemed like fantastic use of the dead space that we now have in the top bar again.

I don’t love losing horizonal space, but also would like to get rid of the extra click as I go back and forward between inbox and analytics a lot.

The new format is great - I can’t tell you how many times I need to show new team members how to toggle from inbox to calendar!