Why design by committee is a bad idea

Paul Boag's post 10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites on Smashing Magazine explains why web design by committee brings death:

...A committee is often formed to tackle the website because internal politics demand that everybody has a say and all considerations be taken into account...

Instead, designing by committee becomes about compromise. Because committee members have different opinions about the design, they look for ways to find common ground....Unfortunately, this leads only to bland design that neither appeals to nor excites anyone.

Instead, Paul advises that "design decisions be informed by user testing rather than personal experience. Unfortunately, this approach is rarely taken when a committee is involved in design decisions."