My esteemed colleague, George Fox, recently shared a fantastic article with me on this very topic.  Essentially, what authentic design boils down to is creating interfaces where design isn’t forced, but rather a product of function and natural utility (of what ever it is you are creating). The post discusses various periods of history drawing comparisons to architecture and materials engineering.

Hands down, it’s one of the best articles on designing for the web I have come across.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/07/16/authentic-design/