[II2II]

I don't understand why the effects would look worse at higher resolution, or why how they add contrast. The tacky part I do understand, as well as the point about screen fonts like Verdana.

To choose a relevant counter example: the Macintosh System Software prior to version 7 was also very flat. System 7 to 7.5.5 introduced depth in a subtle way and a limited manner. It was only around System 7.6 when they started being heavy handed, something that I always attributed to following the trends in other operating systems.

[mattkevan]

It’s because at higher resolutions you can see the flaws more easily.

They’d have to be implemented perfectly every time, otherwise the whole thing becomes a mess. Not everyone will bother to do this.

Also, often when creating designs, things look better the more you take away rather than add.