Good graphic design is a distinctive feature of the Omni brand. The apps have always been visually clean, with a good signal-to-noise ratio. Users have always been able to focus on what matters, without visual distraction.

Until last week.

Something has now shifted in the balance of forces that shapes the process of decision-making inside Omni. Good graphic sense seems to have been talked into the ground by manic enthusiasm, and the result is large blobs of saturated red, with absurdly distracting (and unneeded) levels of visual contrast.

The weakening of graphic standards is likely to continue, because we are now hearing a somewhat manic (and paternalistic) logic from inside Omni. Ethan rationalizes the graphic shouting (loud red blobs) by telling us:

"we want them to really stand out and hit you over the head. Like a rock, sort of. Hmm."

Well ... even pale gray numbers draw our attention to unread email pretty quickly. There's no need to shout. Omni customers are adults.

Graphics is something which Omni has always done well. Don't let yourselves be talked out of that.