Carolyn, I understand the frustration. I see the benefit of frame-like approach Photoshop and Figma have.
But in defense of 'just white locked objects' I have to tell you that having these and partially intersecting 'viewports' is INDESPENSIBLE for the work we do, producing large real-world designs: pavilions, transport wraps, buildings, etc. We need to control the exact dimension and position of each exported artboard, and the current paradigm was designed exactly for this, long before the current meta with frames happened.

It does not mean it will never be picked up, but to marry these two rather different approaches is really hard.
The team tried once in 2019, and it was not that successful.

This is critical because it takes SO much time creating individual layer groups that correspond to artboards. It's not a preference – but a necessity when handing over to animators/video editors. they need accurate files. I regularly waste hours sorting this out. so frustrating and not productive. I don't understand why it's not in place in the first place, like photoshop. It's just logical. Otherwise what's the point in artboards? they're currently functioning as white locked objects on a pasteboard which is pretty useless.

Please prioritise this Adobe team. It should have been in place from the get go

An option to link a work area to a layer group. Example : Layer group 1 linked to Work Area 1 etc.

Once you click on the area, all actions are linked and created in the same group linked to avoid elements mismatch between layers when pasting or creating.

I think this is very important

In the layers panel having an artboard listed with its "artboard name" (ie artboard 1 etc..) and the content on that artboard contained within that group. Similar to photoshop. I spend so much time creating groups for multiple artboards and trying to rearrange them in order. Would be a huge time saver.

Another very closely related request which I think should be left as a separate entity:
Clip to Artboard [similar to Figma/XD]
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/46799851

This should be a document option. Very handy for user interface design, especially to people who don't want to migrate over to figma

This would be very useful with large format decals that have cutlines specific to an artboard but with a single BG image that spans across all artboards

Same request, but with more votes. Please vote there:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657-illustrator-desktop-feature-requests/suggestions/31133392-artboard-specific-layers

Photoshop artboard layer management is brilliant. Just use that one please.

This feature would be extremely helpful. Artboard specific Layers already exist in Indesign. Except in Indesign Artboards are called Pages. As you change which page you're working on the Layers Panel updates with it.

Yes!! Please!

in the same way Figma handles layers inside frames. Each layer, our group of layers should be Artboard dependent and move with it even if its hidden.

Currently, keeping track of hidden layers on different artboards is cumbersome; specially when handling a file with multiple artboards and layers.

This would greatly enhance creating multiple comps.

Romek, it’s in the development.

When working with multiple board designs and multiple layers things get complicated. I would love to have an option to choose 'Single Artboard layers' and be able to work not with global but local/artboard layers just within a single selected artboard.
Alternatively, there could be 'global layers' (like global swatches) if one choses to use them.
This would greatly facilitate and enhance working in multiple artboard - multiple layers documents.

That would be awesome. Pleeeeeeease

This!

It'd be really useful - currently kind of counterintuitive/hard to stay organized and there's already something similar in InDesign so it shouldn't be too hard to program, not sure why it wasn't there from the start but it'd still be a huge help in terms of organization and workflow - PLEASE put this in the next update or at least make a patch or something to include it !!

yes please!

This is a much needed feature. Please prioritize as soon as possible.

pleassssseeeeeeeee this is so necessary.