Think more, design less. Many desperate acts of design (including gradients, drop shadows, and the gratuitous use of transparency) are perpetrated in the absence of a strong concept. A good idea provides a framework for design decisions, guiding the work.
— This quote from Ellen Lupton is dead on, although when used with the right degree of subtlety, the gradients and shadows she mentions will enhance rather than hinder your design. Dan Rubin advocated this same approach in his keynote at Web09: dial back such effects until they almost disappear, until they present the feel of a real-world object instead of the look of an applied filter. (via Frank Chimero)
