Sometimes, though, there is value in providing visual aids, especially if trying to communicate data. I don't object to that. What I do object to is sticking to a formula, just because that's what everyone else does. Next time you think that you have to give a presentation, think first about the object of the meeting. Don't fire up Powerpoint through some reflex action.
Most people take the shape of their daily newspaper for granted.
But like web design, there are some aspects of newspaper design that seem to have become accepted as the norm, even though they could be seen as leftovers from the past. But they are not the most usable of reading materials. They require space, in order to turn the pages, and are best read in a quiet, stable environment - which perhaps explains why reading a newspaper is so popular in cafes and libraries. But reading something big and bulky on a train, bus, or even at an office desk, is not so simple. Several years ago, The Guardian published an experimental newspaper that tried just that.