I wanted to share some thoughts (and frustrations) about the new shared inbox UI. We've been using Front daily since 2018 across multiple teams, and while change can often be a good thing, this redesign feels like a giant step in the wrong direction. Here’s why:
Loss of Clarity and Efficiency
The old UI made it easy to scan, prioritize, and collaborate quickly. With the new interface:
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Message previews are less readable — whitespace is poorly balanced and visual density has increased without improving usability.
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Viewing the conversations panel & inbox list is visually challenging.
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Requiring more clicks for basic tasks
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Search bar relocation is a disaster
Workflow Disruption
We’ve built our workflows around speed and collaboration. The new UI introduces:
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More friction in searching
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Composing is a challenge
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Why change Snoozed/Archived to Later/Done?
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Keyboard shortcuts being necessary — breaking muscle memory we’ve built over years.
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Removal of core features like notifications & viewing @mentions
♂️ Less Useful at a Glance
The shared inbox used to be just that — shared. Now, it feels like the UI is drifting toward an individual-centric experience:
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Subjects are hidden/truncated
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Mentions and comments are de-emphasized.
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Objects are hidden behind an icon
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On search, “team circle preview” removed to distinguish which team a message is in
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Personal Inboxes no longer have Archived/Snoozed functionality
Feedback
I get that product evolution is necessary, and maybe some of these changes were made with good intentions. But for high-volume, team-based support or sales ops, speed and clarity are everything. Right now, it feels like form is being prioritized over function.
We’d love to see:
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A way to opt into the old UI, or
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More customization options to bring back clarity and visibility
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Real consultation with power users before rolling out major changes like this. I had reached out to the team with real concerns
Would love to hear if others are feeling the same way — and hope the Front team takes this seriously. The product has been incredible, but this new UI has introduced real friction into our day-to-day.
Still have yet to find 1 new feature in the new UI which I think improves the inbox experience.