much recommended on Metafilter, and it’s an excellent book – don’t be put off by its awful cover! (I nearly was! You’d think a book that teaches design would look great…) I’m picking up some really simple design principles that have great impact on how a design looks – I now have a much better idea why my first website design looked so amateurish, and have good ideas as to how I can make it look the way I want it to – I’m no longer relying solely on trial and error. Highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the basics of design! :)