Why 'Good Design' Rules Were Always Gatekeeping

It demanded years of unspoken rules. Most founders never had time to learn the secret language of grids and whitespace. It protected expensive middlemen. Without a design degree or budget, your product shots stayed invisible. It ignored conversion data. "Ugly" ads often outsold polished ones because they matched what buyers actually clicked. It kept software deliberately complex. Simple drag-and-drop tools threatened the idea that only experts could create visuals. It shamed fast…