Reducing contrast is really a problem in my opinion for users. I totally agree with you.
SeatGeek is elegant (I like the visual), but as with most flat designs, affordance is a problem. I believe that the word Filter on the right side of Great Deals might be clickable/tappable text (based on my previous flat design button hunts and the previous iOS7 image with a gear). The problem is, I don't know for sure without actually trying it.
When I have to go beyond skimming to discover basic functionality, the user experience is broken in my opinion and cognitive load increases.
> Reducing contrast is really a problem in my opinion for users.
The most terrifying example, in my opinion, is the team selector on the InfiniteHoops app. It keeps the skeumorphic 3-dimensionality of the old selector, but strips out all of the color and context and makes the text hard to read, turning the whole thing into a real mess.
SeatGeek is elegant (I like the visual), but as with most flat designs, affordance is a problem. I believe that the word Filter on the right side of Great Deals might be clickable/tappable text (based on my previous flat design button hunts and the previous iOS7 image with a gear). The problem is, I don't know for sure without actually trying it.
When I have to go beyond skimming to discover basic functionality, the user experience is broken in my opinion and cognitive load increases.