The application in your screenshot doesn't suffer from a lack of gradients and drop shadows. The problem is the almost uniform treatment of every element of the

The application in your screenshot doesn't suffer from a lack of gradients and drop shadows. The problem is the almost uniform treatment of every element of the interface. This isn't a problem with "flat design" ( whatever that is ) but poor typography. One can ( and should ) create a clear visual hierarchy through type and color without resorting to shadows to give it more "depth".