I wonder if it was an effect of people who didn't like it complained and threw hissy fits. Those that liked or didn't mind, didn't say anything.
So it _seemed_ as if everyone hated and they just had to replace it. I've observed that pattern happen with product features before. A customer chimes vocally that they hate something, another does etc. An issue is created, work starts, then a whole new wave of complain come later that "hey I did like that feature, why did you remove it".
Wonder how the decision was made, did they do a more formal survey or just went by the vocal critics on HN and other sites?
(Now having said that, I don't dislike the new interface, so not complaining about GNOME, just mainly interested in how the decision process worked).