I agree, and programmers (at least on HN) seems to prefer minimalist and/or retro interfaces.

However I'm pretty confident that if I show such an interface to non technical people, they will feel that it doesn't look nice, compared to whatever proprietary app they use on their phone, Windows/Mac, ...

I personally don't use Word nor LibreOffice (I use mostly LaTeX), but if we want free software to become more popular, there must be a focus on the design.

I don't care how ugly it is. I care about how quickly people can get their work done. The ribbon is better for this because the things most often used are right there and easy to find. Sure rarely used stuff takes longer, but that is a good trade off.

Is there some way to move stuff in word so that it is more accessible. Just wondering.

Yes, since ages ago the ribbon is customizable. You can create a new tab with exactly what you want in it.

There is also a search feature now, so its not like you need to know where rarely-used things are.

I don't personally mind people putting in a fancy ui, put whatever ui you want on it.

Just also give me keybindings and let me hide whatever ui you make.

Well, the head of the design team is Heiko Tietze. His PhD is in Psychology and he's worked at various companies as UX designer/lead.

So, why you'd you contact him and tell him where he's going wrong? I'm sure he'd value your insight and guidance.