> why do others want to be distracted by the interface? UI design need not be distracting. There is a wide spectrum ranging from "fancy" flourishes of art to

> why do others want to be distracted by the interface? UI design need not be distracting. There is a wide spectrum ranging from "fancy" flourishes of art to brutalist simplicity. Somewhere in the middle, careful use of font, color, and layout can drastically improve readability and usability. Compare, say, the default appearance of an unstyled HTML page, to that same page in your browser's reader mode. Both are very plain, but the latter is much more pleasant to absorb. I believe this is what OP is referring to. At the extreme ends of the spectrum, design can be distracting as you say, but lack of it can be equally prickly and unpleasant. Neither is good. Consider that few people play chess with rocks and sticks standing in for pieces.