I agree with the notion that part of the purpose of design is solving problems. Design isn't only the application of style. I think that's where a lot of the so-called design solutions you're talking about fail: they're studious applications of a style, and that's unfortunately where most of the design thinking ends.
Particularly this type of 'beautiful' web application design: it may succeed in communicating, at least in a broad sense, but there are so many indistinguishable examples of it—it's a cacophony of the same voice. So it fails to communicate a distinct idea or message.
I agree with the notion that part of the purpose of design is solving problems. Design isn't only the application of style. I think that's where a lot of the so-called design solutions you're talking about fail: they're studious applications of a style, and that's unfortunately where most of the design thinking ends.
Particularly this type of 'beautiful' web application design: it may succeed in communicating, at least in a broad sense, but there are so many indistinguishable examples of it—it's a cacophony of the same voice. So it fails to communicate a distinct idea or message.