http://www.site-reference.com/articles/Website-Development/The-Surprising-Truth-About-Ugly-Websites.html
This is an interesting article that resurrects the tech age-old question of form over function. Why can a plain, ugly website drive more traffic and make more money than one with substantial investment in the presentation layer? Those of us nerdy types are very interesting in cutting edge techniques, tools, and shiny objects that's its often easy to forget about what it is we are trying to accomplish when doing a website (hello, scope creep anyone?!)
I believe it comes down to a couple of simple principals of focus:
- Focus. What is your website trying to do? (hint: everything is not a good answer).
- Focus on focus. Does your website focus on delivering the intention of the website? (hint: stick to the goal, not the shiny object of the moment).
- Focus the ^$*@ projector. Can your audience read/understand/act on what you are trying to do? (hint: the more flashy the user interface, the easier it is to get lost in the weeds).
For most of my professional career I've always considered myself not-very-good with user interfaces; they are boring, bland, and straight to the point. However, just because I don't use flash, have bouncing buttons, or know (really) how to use color doesn't mean its ineffective. Consider one of my oldest websites, www.delphiworld.com. Straight, simple, to the point. No flash or frills. Very easy to navigate and use. Boring, yes, but also effective.
Simple is good. So is a good user experience. But content (and the ability to consume that content) remains king.