Fugly Is In
Soundtrack: “Rotten Apple” by Alice In Chains.

While I'm on a design roll, I'd like to say a few words about how overused this whole usability thing is. Web 2.0 is apparently all about a move away from the awkward and graphics-heavy websites of yore. And that's fine with me. But some people are going a little overboard with their claims that good design means all usability and no pretty. In fact, people are claiming that ugly is the best way to go.

And this infuriates me. You don't even know.

Last time I checked, design was defined the following way:
"Graphic Design is a form of visual communication. It is a process in which visual information is given form and structure. This is often done through the arrangement of typography and images and take any form from photography to 3D design. Graphic design can incorporate the use of illustration, iconography, and branding, but is not limited to these devices." That's from Wikipedia.

Meaning that graphic design is about delivering information, but that information isn't restricted to just text or graphics. Good design is something that looks pleasing to the eye while efficiently delivering the content.

The problem is that money drives the Fugly trend, as I like to call it. Google is incredibly ugly, because it was designed by engineers, not designers. Amazon.com and about every other online shopping marketplace is uglier than a monk fish. And then there's MySpace... don't even get me started. These sites are all about marketing and revenue, and that's fine. But there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Consider Cinderblock.com, an online retailer that specializes in music merchandise. It's easily navigable, has a good layout, and a pleasing color scheme. Then you look at Buy.com, and there's so much information to wade through that it makes it incredibly hard to get around the page. Your eye doesn't know where to go, and that's confusing. Confusing is bad, people.

I for one am prone to agree with Andrei Michael Herasimchuk when he says “To think that bad design is actually good design and that good design is not that important in every day life is the epitome of the worst kind of cynical thinking in the web and high-technology industry.” So I offer an ultimatum... why do we have to sacrifice good design for usability? Please, think of us, the people who don't want to get a headache from going to a web site. I'll make my sites usable if you try to make your sites look better. I'm begging you!