Originally Posted by
Eitot Ironically, some screenshots I�ve seen actually look more cluttered because of the missing contrast and visible components. As a learning developer, I already experience this. It�s very hard to arrange and separate elements without some distinct visual cues. You can only do so much with lines and simple background colours, when you could easily add richer graphics and shadows to your arsenal. I�m experimenting a lot with this at the moment and I reuse plenty of BlackBerry�s custom components found in other apps, to make the user experience even better and maintain consistency with the 10.0�2 look. To me, the new design imposes some limitations to the freedom I currently have, if I want to have a common look with other BlackBerry apps (which I do appreciate).
Another worry is that I cannot control much of the new design without using the 10.3 API level. To retain optimal compatibility, you should use lower API levels if possible. Given that the design is different, existing apps will not necessarily look good on 10.3, especially if you use custom components with own graphics. This means that I either have to use the 10.3 API level, barring lower versions from using the app, create a separate design/app for 10.3 or create a common design. This is a challenge I am not really willing to make, given that this is new territory for me.
I still hold on to the opinion that BlackBerry 10 does not need this design update. Stick with what you�ve got and refine where necessary. But this shift from flat to even flatter and monotonous just comes at a cost at this point.