The headline on UX Magazine’s writeup wanted to explain: Why Web Design is Dead. Naturally, we were intrigued…

Web design is (finally!) dying of irrelevance. Web pages themselves are no longer the center of the Internet experience…

The truth is, we need fewer web pages, not more of them. There are already too many competing for our attention and assuming selfishly that we have all the time in the world to close pop-up ads, explore navigational hierarchies, and be dazzled by transitions, intros, and effects.

The article makes some very valid arguments in favor of the “Death of Web Design”, as we know it…

Symptom 1: Commoditization by Templates

Symptom 2: Web Design Patterns are Mature

Symptom 3: Automation and Artificial Intelligence are Already Doing the Job

Symptom 4: Facebook Pages as the New Small-Business Homepage

Symptom 5: Mobile is Killing the Web

Gone are the days when you needed to hunt down a “good designer” just to deploy your vision of an online presence. And when you did find one, what you ended up with, was often unwieldy code that would not comply with any standards, and was completely dependent on the original designer/programmer to manage or update.

Yes, web designers and interface architects still have a role to play in today’s always-on, smartphone-powered world – to design, plan and manage the various touch-points of digital presence, including digital products, tools and the ecosystem at large. Plus, there will always be those who want a “custom” solution that works with legacy systems, and integrates across the enterprise.

If you are a small-medium business or a professional, I’d recommend you stay away from custom-built design services, and stick to established standards like WordPress for your online needs. You may need to engage with someone to help you navigate the digital world, but you will end up with a robust, online presence in weeks, at a fraction of the cost!

We agree with Sergio Nouvel when he says, “Now more than ever, in a world flooded with cognitive noise, the world needs simple, intelligent, integrated ecosystems of information.” Let’s make the most of this opportunity, and focus on what really matters.