Client Choices: Choosing a style

Web Design-isms: 7 Surefire Styles that Work is the best example I've seen at categorizing the various styles used in web design. This is a very resourceful guide to use with clients in narrowing down a design direction. Maybe they will suggest something that looks nothing like the 7 listed styles and wa-la a magical new style for you to work with.
This resource is a list in which the styles are different enough from each other that a client can differentiate which ones they like and dislike. It is a starting place and gives some common language to the discussion of the design direction. You say web 2.0, they say color bar thingies, you make no headway. You both say web 2.0, they say no, you make progress. There is a need for quick simple categorization. Not all conversations about design are going to be meritful or scholarlly. Art history knowledge would have a noble advantage in categorizing what artistic styles have not been or rarely been explored on the web.
The style(s) chosen are a focus point and your unique additions will help make it your own. Larissa Meek later explains in the comments that "I think it’s important not to 'copy' or 'emulate' but to focus on a style or movement. "
As a web designer the revolutionary ideas start with making content easier to understand, navigate, and use. Style only really influences the small details of the bigger picture.

The 7 styles:
COLLAGISM
ORANAMENTALISM
GLOSSISM
WORDISM
FUTURISM
MINIMALISM
RETROISM


Her examples:
http://www.jrvelasco.com/ - typography and collage [wordism]

Comments examples:
http://www.atelier.ie/ - [minimalism]
http://coudal.com/ - [minimalism]

Offline Reference:
Fresh Styles for Web Designers [listed as an outdated reference to the subject but still probably a good observation]