While these and other factors drive our consciousness, there are other unknowns that lead me to look deeper into the mystery of why I keep coming back for more. Here are a few things to consider.

Five Ways to Be One with Your Web Design
1.   Do the graphics on the site look pieced together? Even on a site with vital information, if it looks as if it was built by a 12-year old with a skateboarder's mentality for detail, then I'm thrown off. Professionalism doesn't necessarily mean perfection, just not created with an impatient or childlike design. Of course, if you're advertising a day care center, childlike may be just the key. But even in that scenario you wouldn't want to it to look piecemeal.

2.   Feng Shui is all about filling spaces to increase the harmonious aesthetic. Just as we have plants in empty spots, be hesitant about leaving large blank spaces on your pages. Even in the creation of an industrial Web page, e.g., for a hospital or a large natural gas concern, you can fill in the holes with things that reflect the more harmonious aspects of that business. For medical Web sites emphasize healing and hands, for example. There are countless ways to add a plant in the corner without making it a neon-covered eyesore.

3.   Make your Web foyer a calming introduction to the wonders of the Web inside. Home designers try to make their entryways a disarming and calming beginning. As you introduce your product or company, don't forget to make the right first impression with your site; you'll get only one chance with some surfers.

4.   Try to avoid making the journey an unpleasant one. If you're going to present navigational pathways, make them easy to follow and logical. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to find information that should be at the very front of the Web site or, at the very least, a simple click away.

5.   Finally, try to break up the horizon a bit. Many times we think like the scientists and programmers we are and stack things up in neat rows or fill the top or bottom of the Web page without using our space well. Patterns are not bad, but the eyes get weary looking at row after row and column after column. Make your Web site more fluid by repositioning a few icons or links.

Okay, I'm Done Now
These are a few simple tips on the flow of the understated aesthetic. For those of you who think that perhaps I've been watching a little too much "Surprise by Design," just remember, the Web sites that are getting frequent hits are the ones you remember and want to visit again. Oftentimes, a few careful design ideas can lead to great success and a peaceful journey.