Easy Does It Design
"Computers are useless -- all they can give you are answers." — Pablo Picasso
Design is all about relationships. On the technical side, a short list of relating design elements would include: line, shape, texture, color (hue & value) and space. A short list of design principles would include: movement, proximity, balance, emphasis and unity. But the single most important design technique is: CONTRAST. What is going to set the design apart in the most distinctive way? What is the most direct and clear way to make the point? What makes for exceptional design is not something you can easily put your finger on. But you know it when you see it.
Effective design is the art of questioning the answers. It's about "wrong-headed" thinking that snaps you out of mental habits and opens to surprising solutions. Trends start with two groups of people: the young and the creatives. But youth isn't measured in years, it's measured in flexibility.
Have you ever surfed to a web page only to move right along because nothing caught your eye? Was there too much going on to be able to focus on any one thing? Conversely, think of a layout where you've noticed that less is actually more; where a simple, elegant placement of elements sparked your interest to stop and focus. That's what appleEYE means by "plain & simple" design. 
It offers you a frame in which to rest your mind and direct your attention to a singular emphasis. One thought at a time. Clear and distinct. You might call it the Goldilocks Theory of Design. Not too hot, not too cool, but just right. When the design is right, it's easy on the eye.