I'd argue that being simple and effective to use is a show off of the designers skills. Whenever I bring a designer on a project, I bring her in to structure and lay out all the information and functions that is available on a site, to guide the readers eye to the important function while not forgetting about the nitty gritty details.

I'm always and each time amazed how much of a difference to reading and comprehension a well designed page makes over a jumbled mess. That's what designers are good at and that's the value they bring - not the fancy looking bling* that most people associate with designers.