You are right alyce , but i feel if the site serves its purpose with "it isnt ugly and the content is easily legible..." then its a design well done!
And you right in saying you do not need a BA in Graphic Design to do design. Even the sign painters in my country are designers! (
example 1,
example 2,
example 3). Gaining the acceptance of the common folk is a tough job! You will have to make sure your design is accepted by a wide range of people who use the net.