I like the Properties Panel idea And Hiding the Control Bars on top to maybe look less daunting to newcomers but What if It has a DropDown arrow. A small panel tucked inside on top of Indesign while having a dropdown arrow in the middle so when the mouse is clicked/hovered on top it falls down occupying the same amt of space. Can also be used on every other Panel the Right one as well. Just Hover the Mouse to the extreme Right and the Panel shows up and when not more viewing space for the file. I m not saying to make this a primary feature but to have an option for this kind of workspace. The Top Control Bar Dropdown arrow can have a tooltip Want More Controls?