In tossing menus and toolbars in favor of a single unified, context-sensitive ribbon, the Office 2007 team voiced its frustration with discoverability. Users were constantly writing in asking for features which already existed or complaining they couldn't find features in the product. The large ribbon was also driven by a shift toward WYSIWYG previews. To be effective, galleries of themes and effects need significant space on screen.
Most people I've heard from who've tried Office 2007 get crabby about having to learn a whole new interface. They can't find features they already know how to use. One friend gave up on finding the print feature because he didn't recognize the big Office icon at top left as a button.
The Office team's argument is that usability tests show higher productivity after a short period of relearning. But keep in mind that Clippy the animated paper clip got through the usability gauntlet too. The ribbon's radically different user interface means lots of users will need to be retrained. And the ribbon's context sensitivity means you have to go hunt through each tab to find the feature you want.
However, the ribbon does some things very well:
- Every button is labeled, because most users don't put in the time to hover over every button and read every tooltip. Internet Explorer 3 popularized this in modern desktop app design.
- The giant previews are both useful and sexy
- Context-sensitive 'tuckaway' tabs don't resize the editing area, which can be jarring
The new ribbon will be made a control in a Visual Studio update. Once users are trained in Office 2007, it will make sense to use the new interface. But at a time when many users see older versions of Office as good enough, the transition could take a long time against significant user resistance.