Why is good design important?

In a word, FUNCTION. A website or any printed media piece that functions well is the end result of good design. Many people mistakenly think that design is simply about appearance. The truth is that structure and form are seamlessly interlaced to create good design. A web site cannot function well without a proper structure. It doesn't matter how snappy the website or brochure looks, if it's difficult to navigate, or find the information, the design is a failure. Conversely, if the site navigates well, or the brochure's information is laid out nice, but the design is not visually pleasing, then again, the design is a functional failure. Also, the appearance must appeal to the correct target audience. If the structure is sound and the appearance is appealing to 18-25 year old males, but the target audience is 40-50 year old females, then the design is a failure.

Form and structure must come together to create a web site or printed media that will function well.

Do you think anyone will really notice that my
logo was not professionally designed?

Yup. Just about everyone that sees it. They may not be able to verbalize
why, but you can bet that they’ll think that your company won’t be able to
provide the same level of products or service as the guys with the “clean”
well designed logo. That idea may be completely false. It may not be fair, but
perception about your business can become reality when it comes to
your logo design.

Could it really be better to have no website than to have a poorly designed one?

Yes…well, sometimes. The Internet provides you the equal opportunity to
look as good or better than your competition. Many times this is where your
clients will create their first impression about your business.