Others have mentioned that there are different definitions of what "design" means, but I will assume you're talking primarily about visual/graphic design more s

Others have mentioned that there are different definitions of what "design" means, but I will assume you're talking primarily about visual/graphic design more so than the other ways the word is used. As designers/developers or creative people in general, it's natural to think of our creations as art, they are. But when it comes to art that has a concrete function, like websites, I find it helps me to remember that the average user will not be coming to a website I build for the sole purpose of marvelling at that lovely gradient that I made or that Ajax UI element that took me hours to put together. They're coming to the site to use a service or obtain information. That's all they're really interested in. I'm not trying to say that the prettiness of the site doesn't matter, it does (for some sites more than others). But it's secondary to making sure the site is usable/accessible, making sure the visual design doesn't get in the way of what your users are trying to do. I'd also include in this making sure the design conveys the image you're tying to get across. That's part of the design not getting in your users way. Users by and large will not squint at your visual design like you do and critique it in anywhere near as much detail as you might.