Inkscape is not for basic tasks, and shouldn't be dumbed-down imho. Yes, (you're about to say) software can always be improved.
I'm guessing there are other programs free through expensive that meet your basic-tasks use case. Be mindful, these are volunteers.
Why do you think that is? What makes them popular?
Figma, canva etc are all really popular. Google docs is popular. They are all easy to use. For basic tasks we really dont need a huge expanse of menus and options all laid out like an aircraft cockpit. I would argue for a normal person that is far worse than some empty screen, which maybe hides a bit, but puts the more common or important tools visually first.
Maybe it could just be a toggle in a menu somewhere, "pro mode". These FOSS tools could learn what was good about modern design and try to iterate on the good take aways.