The biggest myth about Web site design is that it's the exclusive province of graphic designers, those right-brained individuals who toil away on Macs and get excited about the newest Photoshop release. In fact, these keyboard artistes are only one layer in a rich, intricate painting.

Well-designed Web sites are the result of a diverse cast of characters that includes information architects, usability experts, brand managers, technical producers and, yes, designers. Why so many people? Simple: Web design is more than just good looks. Unlike, say, a brochure, which need only look great while providing a modicum of information, a Web site is interactive - people should be able to use it to accomplish tasks. A site that looks beautiful but functions poorly is about as useful as a sleek new Porsche with a sputtering engine.

This simple concept is too often overlooked. Witness the rash of Web pages that instantly serve up snazzy animation without offering any clues as to the site's purpose. According to a recent report by Forrester Research, only 50 percent of the retail sites it surveyed offered useful content within two clicks of the homepage.

Thankfully, as Web design reaches a certain level of maturity, form is starting to yield to function. Businesses are cutting out the superfluous stuff and making their sites as practical as possible.

The timing of this shift is no coincidence. As showing a profit becomes increasingly critical, businesses have less patience for designs that get in the way of the task at hand - whether that's making a sale or persuading a user to click deeper. And since more Web sites are charging for their content and services, poor design isn't as excusable as it once was.

All this might raise fears that the Web is about to become an incredibly boring place, its dorky but vibrant soul dulled by shades of corporate gray. More likely, pragmatic design will make the Web more enjoyable. Just as great music often follows basic principles of meter and scale, successful Web sites adhere to a few solid fundamentals. As businesses become clued in to these principles, Web design is increasing in importance. Rather than leaving the job to outside "experts," many firms are assembling their own product development and design teams ["Blue Light Special"] and subjecting their sites to extensive usability testing ["Testing 1-2-3"]. And with the Web spreading to new platforms, such as mobile phones and handheld PCs ["Think Small"], the buzzword is "usability."

But for all the challenges in Web design, the goal is simple: Whether you're selling gardening tools or broadcasting sports-highlights videos, you need to create an intuitive, quick-loading site that makes customers happy. After all, what's more important: a good-looking site - or a site that has you looking good?

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Blue Light Special
By Jackie Cohen
Even if Kmart's second effort at e-commerce, BlueLight.com, never makes a buck, its design process is a winner.

Flash Backlash
By Marc Weingarten
Has the Web's most popular design tool become a victim of its own success?

Talking Trash
By Alexei Oreskovic
Interview: Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen has made a second career out of bad-mouthing bad design.

Think Small
By Marc Weingarten
The wireless Web's tiny screens are forcing designers to face that most confounding of demons: Restraint.

Testing 1-2-3
By Alexei Oreskovic
The secret to a successful user interface is getting users in your face.

Looking Good
By Jenny Oh
Promoting high-end brands online is the latest fashion.

Quick and Easy
By David Lake
Metrics: Surfers seek simplicity.

Designs on the Web
By Jeff Palfini
Market: The leading players in tools and services.