Thanks for all you comments :)

@Suleiman Leadbitter
@Luke Jones
@Mazilu Teodor
@Ali Stone
Thanks for your input guys!

I understand your frustration about clients steering the design in a certain direction but this is something that every designer encounters, it’s just part of the job.

I think the very least we can do in these circumstances is just make sure we’re applying our styles thoughtfully and in a way that aids the functional design of the site.

@Alex Morris
You’re right, some of these treatments aid the usability of a site design. I don’t object to this. It’s the thoughtless application of style that I’m referring to.

@TheFella thanks :)

@Carl Rosekilly
Thanks for your comment!
I don’t think clients or budgets are the issue here. The article isn’t about breaking the mould either. The key message I was trying to get across is that when we apply an aesthetic to a website we should do so thoughtfully and make the style relevant to the content of the site.

@Matt Hamm
@Russell Bishop
You’re right, this has happened to me.