a design philosophy

I was working on a project for another class and came across the personal website/blog for the visual design lead for Google, Douglas Bowman. Curious to learn more about his background, I clicked on his "about" page and at the very bottom he posts his design philosophy (see below), which I find very inspiring, especially as we begin designing our websites for our final project.

Douglas Bowman's Design Philosophy
Design plays a primary role in the interpretation of a message. It creates a crucial, lasting impression. It encourages examination and generates interest. Accessible, understandable information and beauty of form can engage observers and arrest their attention.

A confusing, poorly designed message will miss its target almost every time. In a world where data bits flow abundantly, our minds have developed filters to sift through the overflow of useless and badly designed information. While design must appeal to our sense of aesthetic, it must not stand in the way of delivery, cause complications, or introduce stumbling blocks. Rather, the presence of design should simplify and facilitate our everyday life, enable us to accomplish our tasks more effectively, and help us enjoy them along the way.