The high-contrast monochrome icons are oddly reminiscent of the unreformed black and white version of the marshalling signals on p63 (Layering and Separation) of Edward Tufte's Envisioning Information, now over 20 years old, but still not always full absorbed.

( Jeff Atwood's page shows scans:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/200...beautiful.html )

The deep history of visual design is that technical improvements in the available range of contrast, color and resolution create scope for better cognitive flow (productivity, in fact) by enabling clearer layering and separation – better foregrounding of what matters, better visual grouping of subsets, and better muting of what is secondary, or just UI.

All too easy, if one loses track of that central point, to end up misinterpreting visual change as the ebb and flow of zeitgeist, and running around in sensitive pursuit of what one imagines to be decorative fashion – the latest 'look'.