The AvantGo design philosophy is to use minimalist, targeted design methods to achieve goals and create a distinctive look and feel.
Minimalist, in this case, consists of using a less-is-more approach: lots of white space, prominent placement of elements in space, less-saturated colors in the standard palette, and placement of identity elements in white space.
Targeted means that because of the absence of a strong, saturated environment, even subtle gradations of hue or value tend to draw attention, allowing us to more easily achieve our design and UI goals.