I agree that a web site's design should be comparable to the quality of the work, products, or philosophy of the site's owner. We mentioned splash pages in class and I think that is a fantastic example of how our first appearances are formed-- personally, I think splash pages are unnessary, obstrusive, and sometimes flaky. Odds are I am going to carry these thoughts with me as I look through the rest of the page. A splash page is another example of design for the sake of design as opposed to design for the sake of function. From a journalistic perspective, the best design is that which draws the reader's attention and allows them to navigate easily. However, I do sympathize with web designers who take some creative liberty in the design process, since the point of design is for it to be visually pleasing.
It was incredibly interesting how indepth they consider text font, sizes, colors, and effects. The most relevant take-away point I gathered from the readings was the importance of consistency. Just as people like consistency in their news anchors and newpaper layouts, a web site organized consistency makes visitors more comfortable because it enables them navigate.