I didn't have the words to describe a not-quite-right feeling I couldn't shake for the new lifehack look - until reading Robin Williams's most excellent "The Non-Designer's Design Book" that is. (Link)
Contrast is what's lacking. (That's contrast of the non-wimpy variety.) The tall vertical banner on the left blends with the horizontal bar at the top, blends with the article headers to the right. The links and summaries are devilishly difficult to distinguish too. (Say that 5 times fast I dares ya!)
With the right amount of contrast - of which size is but one technique, there's also colour, form, direction and weight - a reader should be able to pick up on the different elements of a layout almost immediately with little-to-no effort.
Highly subjective of course. Can you tell I'm not digging the new look? :-)
