When Will Web Design Be Design?

So, there has been an overhaul on my web designer site, BeLinkd. I went for a very minimalistic design with this one, one that isn't too weird, looks slightly web2.0, but isn't quite web2.0.

Frankly, I don't like gradients or all the other cliched things that web2.0 tends to indicate, so I tried to stay away from it. I think the closest I came to what is classified as Web 2.0 is the rounded corners on the navigation.

I find it sad that Web 2.0 has created the general craze it has. While it is true that it can bring some very stunning interfaces, at the same time, it becomes very cliched for every design to have a gradient, for every design to have Mac-like buttons, or even every design to have rounded corners. I like those in interesting ways - but not all together. Oh, and I absolutely loathe gradient backgrounds; I've used them for client sites, but frankly, can we please start being more intuitive?

What I want to see it go more into is concept art, minimalism, and all the other areas that web design features. I want to see more web sites that try to look like things in every day life, that take their inspiration from things around us - but not just common things, but interesting things. I want to see things looking disjointed, and yet flowing smoothly together. I want more designs that take a concept, and blow everyone out of the water with an idea that is new and unique.

I want to see design.

I want to see all of this, and yet continue to improve a user's experience with web pages, in order to better allow people access to web pages and information. Maybe not every design can be the next big thing, but I want to see new things tried out. I'm tired of seeing things that vaguely resemble an iPhone - much less designing them. Sometimes having Web 2.0-esque graphics can be good, but can't we be creative? Try something new in every design, try to improve one part in every design so that it is unlike anything you have tried before.

Maybe this can be difficult, but the more it is done, the further web pages as designs will be advanced, and the more our skill levels as designers will grow - and hopefully, the usage and enjoyment of people on the web will expand.