Just like how some open source projects object to improving the look and feel of their software as it would be ‘dumbing it down’, UX designers, especially those from an HCI background somehow feel that making their stuff look good also makes it less functional.

Forgetting that properly good design is both usable and also doesn’t look like a dog’s dinner.

> Honest question: why do so many design/HCI/typography experts have unreadable/unusable websites of their own?

Because they are not only aware of what is ideal, they are aware of the effort-payoff balance involved in doing it right.

The ones that have a secure brand and are sharing knowledge for free (as opposed to the ones using their website to build/establish a personal brand) don't have a lot of incentive to invest heavily.

No kidding.

I like the minimalism, I don't mind the ugly, but the minuscule font size is just awful.

I think this holds for design and typography, but HCI is not about design, so as long as its usable, it can be ugly.