Originally Posted by LadyMischief

MARKETING is the bottom line in "design". I almost hate the word designer, and the stigma that seems to be connected to it. A "designer" in this business also has to be a copyrighter, marketing director, market research analyst and a lot more. They have to know the market, know how to sell to the market, AND know how to create a visually pleasing presentation that will induce a "customer" to make a purchase. THAT isn't design, it's not making pretty flashy pages, it's MARKETING.... Far too many designers do great work, but can't market things. No matter what, I would take a design that was created from a marketing standpoint over a design created from a purely artistic/aesthetic standpoint anyday, and it will do better every time.