Theres something to this -- design isnt everything. The core functionality is what is really being offered. Steemit offers something highly enticing and new. Much like Myspace, when bands could share music and book gigs easily online for the first time. Design came later.

Steemit will surely improve as time goes on. I have plenty of criticisms but many of them can easily be improved upon as dev continues & the community flourishes. The display and toolset will improve over time. Even if the Steemit.com developers dont, someone else will take steemd and do it!