Design matters. The User Interface of an application, be it web or desktop, is one of the most, if not the most, crucial part. Why? Because to the client and/or customers, it is important to them, though they may not know it.
It's been said before, but to the customer, the UI is the application. You might have developed the fastest, most efficient algorithm, but if the user cannot use it, then they just won't.
To be clear, "design" is not necessarily the aesthetic look and feel of an application. Pretty and shiny contribute to the overall sense of design, but do not make up for shortcomings. In fact, there are plenty of command line driven apps that have great design. They ain't pretty, but work great. And once you move a little bit up the learning curve, they become second nature.
Good design can be obtained by non-artistic types. One of the most common myths I hear is that people think you have to be be "A Designer" to do good work. The most common response I hear for a terrible work is "Well, I'm not a Designer." Yeah, that might be true in HR's filing cabinet, but it just strikes me as a lazy excuse. Or something that Eeyore would say, "Oh well, I'm no good at this. Why even try? I'll just stick to aquamarine and fuchsia." No, your job title might not say "Designer," but it also probably doesn't say DBA, yet you probably have some working knowledge of how SQL works right?
There is a talent aspect to it, but like everything else, talent is worthless without the work to reveal it. And talent is kind of like temperature anyway; there is an absolute zero, but it cannot be achieved in nature (even with quantum effects). In reality, even the most inept can achieve adequate, or even good, design if they apply enough effort.
Where does good design come from then? John Gruber points out that too many people believe that design is just something to worry about at the end of a project. If you say, "Oh, all we have left to do is the UI," then you might as well just drive it off a cliff right then and there.
In the end, a good design ultimately benefits you. The work you do reflects who you are and how your clients/employers see you. And their first impression is the design of an application, so doing a shoddy job is only a disservice to you. It is not easy, but what in software development truly is?
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