[mattbgates]

I love the minimalistic design approach. I've incorporated it into my own designs.. usually using Craigslist as my major influence. No sidebars. No ads that disrupt the reader to the point of annoyance. And I try to make everything pretty easy to navigate.

I usually always get my sister to beta test. She knows enough about computers, but when it comes using computer programs, she can get lost sometimes. So if she questions something, I change it until she has no more questions.

I'm pretty sure the one who designed HN just had a preference for a minimalistic approach and everyone thought it was great, and it has stuck since then. No point in ever changing something that just works. And you can't really do much more beyond "minimalist" -- maybe "brutalist" but it isn't something that is favored by everyone.