Three other web sites I've looked into

Somazone
I would call this an "art" driven site as it doesn't have the best of navigation buttons, it's laid out too well, and uses are work for the main background of the site.

From the very first link "What's new" I would defiantly say it's an arty site, as the actual background doesn't cover the whole of the screen when you scroll down the page
- also the links on the LHS have a greyish looking background behind them, and to think someone with design skills or design knowledge might have put this site together... I wouldn't believe, or would say - they actually don't have any design skills...

Manifesta
As soon as I looked at this first page I thought "Design".
There is a re-occurring colour theme of pink used throughout the first page, and every link/page after that as well.

I am surprised though that the when you click on 1 of the menu links, and are taken to a new page, the links on the LHS have a black background when scrolled over... this adds a bit of a tacky feel to the page I personally feel as I'd never do that for links..

Diacenter
Knowing nothing about this site - or about the person it's representing... I've looked in the menu bar and seen "Artist's Web Projects" so I'm assuming this site is about an artist.

I don't know what category to list this site under - it don't think it has used any bed design concepts, but it doesn't have the "arty, not well laid out" feel a true "arty" site would have. I wouldn't say it's a designers site, but it's not as bad as an artist's site...