Much was said about the different aspects of design, but what I want to point you to is the ultimate goal of design. It's not for you to "like it", it's for your visitors to get the most out of your website, and seen from that perspective, design is all about added value.
To do it right, imagine how adding each bit of "cosmetics" improves the ability of your visitors to reach the state of mind you want them (to get into the buying mode, decide to subscribe to your blog, whatever)
Only after that you'll start understanding what kind of design you need, not just putting on some random fancy-pansy stuff.
To do it right, imagine how adding each bit of "cosmetics" improves the ability of your visitors to reach the state of mind you want them (to get into the buying mode, decide to subscribe to your blog, whatever)
Only after that you'll start understanding what kind of design you need, not just putting on some random fancy-pansy stuff.