Keep the current flat design and layout as an option, instead of moving everyone to the redesign

[pouyarezvani]

The redesign in #28839 through #28845 replaces the app's current design with separate rounded panes, notched tabs, gaps between the panes, a background that shows through them, and gradient, rim and gloss styling on the controls and the composer.

Many of us prefer the design the app has today, and we do not want to be moved onto the new one. We want the flat design everywhere: flat surfaces and a continuous layout, like Codex, VS Code and most of the tools we work in all day.

Request

Please keep the current design available as a complete option, so nobody is forced onto the redesign:

• Flat surfaces everywhere. No gradients, rims, gloss or other skeuomorphic effects anywhere in the app. The redesign's Flat style covers only buttons and the composer, which is not enough.
• The current layout. The sidebar, the chat and the right panel sit edge to edge, divided by single lines that run from the top of the window to the bottom. No notches, no gaps and no rounded pane edges.

One setting in Settings → Appearance, such as Design: Current / Redesign, would cover it. We would also ask that the current flat design stay the default.

The mock-up uses made-up content, and the redesign's styling is approximated.

Related

• The original feedback on feat(web): add workspace panes and transitions #28845, where several people agreed: feat(web): add workspace panes and transitions #28845 (comment)
• [Feature]: Add an option to restore the previous chat layout #31380, a request to restore the previous chat layout.

If you also want to keep the current design, please upvote this post so the team can see how many of us want it.

[pouyarezvani]

A plugin system would solve this well. #31472 proposes one, with a working build you can try: plugins install from Settings → Plugins, can restyle the app with a theme and CSS, and can redraw parts of it such as the sidebar and the diff view, while T3 Code itself keeps receiving every update.

With plugins, anyone who prefers the current flat design could keep it through a plugin, without the team maintaining two designs and without anyone forking the app. If you want the flat design kept, please upvote #31472 as well.