I think the problem is that people use 'design' as too broad a term. In my mind 'Good Design' is more of a technical comment that talks about whether or not th

I think the problem is that people use 'design' as too broad a term. In my mind 'Good Design' is more of a technical comment that talks about whether or not the piece follows the rules of design. If it follows the rules then it's good design. Good Design is not necessarily beautiful or striking. A lot of designers (myself included) can get caught up in the mind set of 'beautiful' = 'Good Design' which is not the case. Most sites should avoid looking ugly but do not need to look beautiful. Also beautiful is often also associated with intricate. Making an intricate design is a different skill set then creating a sparse design. This keep a lot of beautiful sparse sites off these 'beautiful' lists. Good Design is not necessarily usable. I think usability is most important for a website. A usable website focuses on grouping information in intuitive ways so that users can find the information when they need it. Information is not just text but buttons and actions as well. A usable website does not need to be beautiful or have good design.