Sure, this infographic tells you what you already knew, but it's still worth reviewing.

Great Web design is essential before you can start great growth hacking.

I'd be interested to know if anyone saw this and thought "hey, that's how I'll fix my design!"

feels a bit like the same old design propaganda.

"be intuitive", "strive for simplicity", "call to action"... Yup, same propaganda.

Please share a link to something better.

yeah, I know, complaining without fixing! bad me.

this is pretty good

http://startupsthisishowdesignworks.com/

if only for it's massive reference, references, references

I gave this class at Stanford (i.e. one two hour class as part of a larger PM class) on design, here are the slides http://www.slideshare.net/cwodtke/PMclasso5 but I should annotate more

what is most desired?

How to hire designers?

How to do design?

Yes, more annotations are good.

And now I have some fun homework assignments.

Also, this book is required for anyone who has to design and never has (or feels they might suck)

Non-Designer's Design Book, The (3rd Edition) by Robin Williams http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321534042?ie=UTF8&tag=eleganthack&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0321534042&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&keywords=design%20for%20nondesigners&qid=1342918119&sr=1-1

and this one excellent also

Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated... by William Lidwell http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592535879?ie=UTF8&tag=eleganthack&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=1592535879&keywords=universal%20principles%20of%20design&qid=1342918074&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1 via @amazon

Hmm, I'll noodle on more. Maybe write some stuff up.

and I hope y'all read Josh's blog and his excellent book http://bokardo.com/

especially his Principal of User Interface Design http://bokardo.com/principles-of-user-interface-design/

Thanks for the recommendations, C.!