Gradients = Good?

When are gradients appropriate in graphic design? I sat never, sort of. One of the biggest hurdles in design is being able to avoid the easy way out or a simpler yet not as effective solution. Around my office non-designers will occasionally work on a project, in the hopes of saving time for others. The end result is some hideous design utilizing all of the major designer taboos. Weird typefaces, saturated backgrounds, random font sizes and gradients are splattered all over the piece. When this work makes its way to my desk I usually tell them to try to keep the design simple and clear and never use gradients: “they are an easy way out of complex design situations.” Good advice? I must admit that I am being a bit hypocritical when I say this, maybe more than a bit. I use gradients in my work and the regularity of occurrences is not important even though it is not often. I have reason to make such statement, I’m not just being jerkish, I think to be able to use gradients in your design you need to first master how not to use them. It is the idea of having a complete competence in the fundamentals and the skill level of a pro before you develop your own styles, then you may use gradients if you dare. Using gradients early on, in my opinion, limit your development and are usually used very poorly when wielded by an unskilled hand. Do gradients look cool in logos? Would anyone use them in a newspaper? Application matters most when using a gradient and I think most of the time there is a better solution. Another point I want to make about my anti-affinity of the gradients is that I am really impressed by designs that are clean, simple yet creative and eye catching, a gradient can increase the busyness and decrease the clarity of a design.