Thanks, I hate it. Please stop.

[Sam Szuchan]

I want to switch between boards and workspaces easily without thinking. I also don't want the other features forced on me, regardless of how helpful (or not) they are.

Between this and the last update that ruined the checkmark system, I'm extremely concerned that Trello is no longer interested in serving its actual users, and I will start looking into alternatives that offer a more stable experience and don't force a massive switch on users who have built systems around its UI features. Now, many of my SOPs and training will be outdated overnight.

I'm just shocked. Please stop "fixing" a product that was, until recently, perfect. If you want to add features, don't force them on people.

[Sam Szuchan]

It's actually funny that Slack did this exact same thing with their side bar, faced a mass revolt, and then "fixed" it (put it back to how it was).

[Gianito]

Absolutely agree @Sam Szuchan !

The core UX principle of instant access to frequently used boards is gone. Switching between boards and workspaces now requires extra steps and interrupts flow.

Also, workspace views were central to my use of Trello : quick access, cross-board visibility, clear sorting of deadlines. Now they’re buried, and that slows everything down.

This is a beta, and I get the need to test changes. But I hope Trello considers how these shifts impact users who depend on clarity and speed for daily work.

[Sam Szuchan]

They plan on forcing it on everyone currently. I'm currently looking at alternatives, which will be a huge process, but a relief when done.

[Alexandros Mathopoulos]

👋🏻 Hi @Sam Szuchan 

Lex here from the Trello Product Management team! First, I wanted to say thank you to you and others for all of the feedback! I can assure you that our entire Product and Engineering team is monitoring all feedback coming from our millions of users very closely to ensure we are building the best product we can for the vast majority of our users. With any major change to a product there are a lot of tradeoffs that we have to consider (for example, introducing Planner & Inbox in a side by side experience view which is being very well received by a large proportion of our beta users while also making switching between boards not difficult). 

Is there anything we can do to make the new board switcher better? For example, we have heard from some users that one of the things the liked about the old left hand nav is being able to see a list of boards vs the tiles/boxes we currently have in the board switcher. 

I know the new board switcher has a learning curve and is very different than what we used to have. One tip (just in case you have not discovered it yet) is the ability to quickly find any board across all your workspaces with never even touching your mouse. For example, try hitting b on your keyboard from anywhere in Trello, immediately start typing the name of the board, and then hitting the enter key to open that board

[Gianito]

Thanks for your reply @Alexandros Mathopoulos .

This isn’t about resisting change. It’s about preserving usability for people who manage Trello at scale.

The removal of the sidebar breaks a navigation structure many users relied on. Now we have to remember board names, use a shortcut, or scroll through a grid of tiles. This increases friction and slows down access.

Premium views like Timeline, Calendar, and Table were positioned as key features in your messaging
https://trello.com/views/workspace
They are now hidden behind secondary menus. A core UX principle applies here: when something is important, it should be visible. Critical features should not be hard to find.

I would understand a transition toward a command palette approach. That would make sense. But the current system does not behave like one. The b shortcut only searches board names. It does not search for cards. It does not return Premium views. It is not a global search tool.

[Sam Szuchan]

Why do I have to learn more tips to use Trello that still result in a worse experience for a product I've used for years?

[Sam Szuchan]

"which is being very well received by a large proportion of our beta users while also making switching between boards not difficult)."

These are most likely casual/prosumer users with 2-3 boards. I have over 20. You are screwing over power users.

[Sam Szuchan]

"for the vast majority of our users"

Trello is a freemium tool; these people pay $0 or not much more. With this beta, if it's pushed, Trello will be screwing over enterprise users, and the reputation burn from this, even if you eventually change it back will not be pretty. I will absolutely switch to another product that doesn't make my SOPs irrelevant overnight and knows how to update a product while not destroying its core functionality gradually. 

[Gizat Makhanov]

Came here only because of the board navigation. I could handle other new features more or less, but the board switcher is inconvenient. It mainly removes the high-level view of the boards, which creates chaos in my thoughts.

[Paul Vincent Dutcher]

Absolutely agree with your points here, @Sam Szuchan —especially about preserving usability and not forcing new features. I’ve experienced precisely the same issues, managing two workspaces with over 100 boards each. This update isn’t just inconvenient; it severely disrupts workflows we’ve carefully optimized around Trello’s previous interface.

@Alexandros Mathopoulos , your suggestion to rely on keyboard shortcuts clearly shows a misunderstanding of what power users need. We shouldn’t be expected to memorize board names or adopt workaround techniques just to compensate for what is objectively a UX downgrade. The new board switcher might seem intuitive for casual users, but for those of us managing extensive daily operations, it’s demonstrably less efficient.

Sam’s comparison to Slack’s sidebar fiasco hits the nail on the head. Trello risks repeating this exact mistake, alienating its dedicated, long-term enterprise users. Ignoring fundamental UX principles—such as instant visibility and effortless navigation—in favor of questionable design changes could force many users, including our team, to migrate to other platforms.

I genuinely hope the Trello team starts taking these concerns seriously. Updates should always enhance productivity, not hinder it.

[Michael Stephenson]

I truly hope the dev team at Trello aren't pride driven and have the nouse to hold off on this change, acknowledging that maybe they got it wrong with the new switcher.
 

[Alexandros Mathopoulos]

Fun little tip from another user who wanted the ability to see their most used board on the left hand side: You can copy/paste the URL of a board into your Inbox if you want be able to see certain boards always there in the left hand side of the screen.

[Michael Stephenson]

Isn't it counterproductive to tell us how to recreate a poorer version of the menu that we have currently? The fact that people are doing this should tell you all you need to know .. that people want to keep the Left Board Switcher.

You are telling us how to recreate functionality you are removing. For my company I'd have to have 20 panel buttons in the inbox as opposed to a neat list that I have now.

I have no use for the INBOX or PLANNER (I know millions do) .... but i DO have use for the Board Switcher as it currently is.

[Paul Vincent Dutcher]

exact situation for me!

[Sam Szuchan]

So we have to hack together a much less convenient solution? I think there's a disconnect here that I'm hoping can be solved.

[Jennifer]

Hello!  Is there a way to switch back to the regular version if the "Beta" button disappears?  My account still has the Beta button next to Create but my daughter's account does not.