I don't necessarily disagree, but (unfortunately?) there is a well-known result that aesthetics affect perceived usability [1]. Clearly, making your site look b

I don't necessarily disagree, but (unfortunately?) there is a well-known result that aesthetics affect perceived usability [1]. Clearly, making your site look better does nothing for the underlying usability, but the perception of usability is arguably just as important. I believe Apple has demonstrated this with each iteration of OS X: aesthetic concerns always seem to trump usability concerns (example include the Dock and the behavior of green window button) but the OS is more popular than ever. Of course, you're still left with the question of whether choosing a flat design improves or detracts from the aesthetics of site. Here we're venturing into the realm of the subjective, but I'd venture to say that, given the current trends, it hardly seems like the worst thing you could do. [1] http://www.sigchi.org/chi97/proceedings/paper/nt.htm http://www.sigchi.org/chi97/proceedings/paper/nt.htm