I guess if there’s ‘x’ amount of web design, then only ‘x/10’ – the top 10% – of it will be excellent.
The bottom half will – by definition – be mediocre to bad. So the only question is exactly how that bottom half executes mediocrity. 10 years ago that would have almost certainly meant a ‘header bar and three column layout’ because that was the easiest, most common way to create a mediocre design.
Today the ‘Big background and Big centered text’ is that vehicle.
So, I guess I’m saying, you could force a mediocre design team into using a different format, but chances are the results would probably be just as uninspired. They’d just be ordinary in a new and different way.
Perhaps Big Text is a better template for so-so designers to stick to than most templates?
#just thinkingoutloud