High keyboard focused usage with focus on the application-window. I specifically like to enter just “terminal” and the terminal open, either a new window or already open on. I also Alt+Tab but with many open applications finding is more convenient. Another thing is that it is also easy to use with the mouse and the overview makes that pleasant (good for novice users).
They eliminated the unappropriate “desktop metaphor” from Windows 95 and the “system tray”.
The negative side is that GNOME often removes options or hides them - which drives away experienced users (the people needed to pull in new users) and some developers to forks. The are right to not support every bewildering option but the needed ones must in place despite the UX people don’t use them itself.
Some of this is right. Do stuff automatically right and don’t provide unneeded options to avoid complexity. Some not! Also provide required preferences e.g. “Do not suspend on LID close” because some people don’t want that! The GNOME people assumed it was needed as option because of problems with suspend (S3) in the past. Maybe people used it to bypass issues but that isn’t the use case of the preference. Another thing is “When you’ve five clock applets” I want to know what is missing from the first one which made all the others necessary. GNOME learned that people don’t need an “Emacs” as UI-Shell but somewhat went into the other extremes.
PS: And GNOME just looks good by default. I don’t need themes because it is fine.
