Is there any way to opt out of the new @SlackHQ contact list theme that overlays the user's avatar with their status? It makes the contact list completely unusable. You really have to strain in order to see who is online and who isn't. Less is more when it comes to UX 
There's no way to change this or opt out at the moment, but we've shared your request with the team. You can adjust the presence icon colour, if that would help. Preferences > Themes > Create custom theme, then adjust the 'Active presence' colour.