You are right. I didn't intend to reply to you specifically but to the top level question. I can always blame it on the UI ;)

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." - Steve Jobs As a software engineer, I found outrageous to spend months/years working on a great technology or software without considering the design part of the interface. Design is a science (just like programming); creativity can be learned. The folks at the Graphic Design School teach graphic & interface design from the ground up, self paced, affordable and online. Here is the link and good luck! http://bit.ly/jH5yA[^]