Bandwidth, browser issues, and platform differences compromise the design and discourage designers from creating truly compelling work. So, in short, the purpose of this site is to encourage hi-fi design on the web. I realize degradability, coding standards, and browser support are all very subjective topics. In that regard, I encourage anyone to contribute opinions or ideas. I would like this to be, at some point, a community effort.
Nothing removes elegance from a design faster than standard form elements.
Complement hidden form elements with image swapping or dhtml, and form elements can be designed in any image editor. I love helvetica. But fonts are a very timely thing. When I decided to put this site together, nothing worked quite like Garage Gothic. I tried many fonts, and nothing else popped.