[thelogicguy]

I think this is probably somewhat a pitfall of using this example as a lead.

Design rules like "fewer borders are better" don't tell the story well, but they're easy to teach people. It's harder and less grabby to say something like:

Over reliance on borders to separate types of content can lead to designs where contrast between elements is too sharp and it's harder to read through information. Designers should have a sense for information hierarchy and follow that through in their application. Have a point of view and use the visual design to express that. Tools you can use to create that hierarchy are things like borders, shadows, fills, scale, and space. Using all in concert, you can make a design that feels harmonious, but also allows users to freely navigate through the interface.

That advice is probably harder to grok, and isn't as punchy because it can't be used as a simple diagnostic (do we have fewer borders?), but it is realistic.