We agree that client pressure for quick delivery can make it challenging to think and execute visual design without relying on empty style. However, it still comes down to a choice the designer makes: to give in and regurgitate something trendy, or to pursue a solution that mitigates the use of decorative elements. Designing for approval (rather than for an effective solution) is a dangerous game.

Time is always a factor in client work. The responsibility rests with designers to have a process that anticipates this constraint, while still allowing them to execute in a way that delivers something meaningful and lasting.