I like it, and most of the advice is pretty good. However, I have one concern- for the past few years, it seems all engineers and designers have been feeding off of each other's ideas, and this has resulted in websites that look nearly identical in color schemes, typeface, and wording. This makes each successive product less and less distinguishable and boring. I think breaking free from design norms (as long as rule…
What are the design norms we need to break free from?
I think it largely depends on the product and audience you hope to attract. But for starters, I would like to see fewer sites with a large, bold, Helvetica font against a plain background with an intro that says something vague about what the business does. Then the large "Sign Up Now For Free" button with rounded corners that slightly illuminates when you mouse over it.
Look, I'm not shitting on other people's work. Building something original is tough, but I do think that clever design is one of the best ways a new service can set itself apart from the rest, and I think that it is an opportunity that is often missed.