The problem isn't the redesign as such. The problem usually is a redesign is top cover for hostile features. Reddit is a perfect example where the new design is crawling with dark patterns, popups, nags, more "integrated" (i.e. camouflaged) ads and so on. To enable all that crapware there's a ton of JS and then you need a massive framework thing, and everything is asynchronous now so load all the content with a billion API calls to make everything lag, and then because now you can, you plug in analytics to everything.
If it was just about some rounded corners and it works on mobile now (like old Reddit doesn't) only the real NIMBYs would care.
If it was just about some rounded corners and it works on mobile now (like old Reddit doesn't) only the real NIMBYs would care.