Simple Design Tips for Non-Designers (lauradhamilton.com)

> Whatever, you do, never use black text. It will make your site look outdated and trashy.

So on my screen, those light grey hyperlinks are just completely washed out.

Also, why should people avoid using photos of people looking directly at the camera? I'm sure you're right, but I just don't know why.

(Your remaining suggestions seem reasonable and helpful.)

As a non-designer, I don't have the insight to understand why black text makes a site look outdated and trashy. As a user of web pages, I think that black text makes a site look professional. It also makes it possible to read without hurting my eyes. The light gray suggested in the article is very difficult to read and gives me the impression of a badly designed site. Just my opinion as a non-designer.