Realized my resume is failing ATS because it's overly designed. How important is resume design in the world of ATS?

I guess it's just a learning curve on my part but tonight I realized that all the resumes I have been submitting electronically in my job search are, I assume, blatantly failing Applicant Tracking Systems.

I have some design skills up my sleeve so I'd been using a publishing software to make myself a pretty resume and all that fun stuff, but then after getting rejected easily 30 times, I started researching and realized I'm doing EVERYTHING wrong. I've been using special fonts, columns, weird alignments--basically total gibberish to ATS (according to articles online).

As a solution, I built a dry, straight forward resume in Microsoft Word. While it's not exactly beautiful, it's a lot easier to edit/tailor per job due to multiple factors (software runs fast, easy export, etc). At this point, I value efficiency over beauty. But now I'm worried employers are going to get bored and overlook my resume because it doesn't stand out.

I did a design internship in college and my boss stressed the importance of having a visually impactful resume (incorporating color, icons, fancy fonts). I understand this was his perspective because he worked in the design industry, but I'm starting to feel like it's not all that important to employers outside of design?

Note: I'm not applying for design work. My experience is in corporate retail and I'm trying to get into an inventory buying role which isn't explicitly "creative."

My question for you: Since ATS is widely used by employers, do you think it's necessary to have a resume that visually "stands out"? Could you please share your thoughts? Do you have resume building tips/suggestions? Do you use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or something else?

Thanks in advance

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