Hiya GU (sounds like a clinic I once frequented)
I asked who agreed all the stuff you mention as I'm quite partial to thinking that I could do better. In essence it could be argued that the ATC people of yesteryear did specify such fundamental parts of the user interface. Ask the current guys and they'll tell you who to blame, or, ask why they did what they did.
I think that the biggest problem was that a Sony tube is only so large and if the stuff on the screen like flight data was made bigger there was no room for the radar stuff. Naturally I asked the obvious questions about why not have a second screen and so on but it appears that it's all about compromise. Never a popular thing, that. I can't be particularly positive about the colours so as I can't say anything nice, I won't say anything at all.
J