Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates...
Don't confuse legibility with communication.
If you have no intuitive sense of design, then call yourself an "information architect" and only use Helvetica.
Never mistake legibility for communication.
It's not about knowing all the gimmicks and photo tricks. If you haven't got the eye, no program will give it to you.
You have to utilize who you are in your work. Nobody else can do that: nobody else can pull from your background, from your parents, your upbringing, your whole life experience.