I am more of a developer than a designer. However, web development does not allow me the luxury of focusing only on development. My work constantly forces me to make design decisions, big and small. One of the best resources that I have found is “The Non-Designer’s Design Book”. It is a great book and perfect for its target audience. The Non-Designer’s Design Book does an excellent job of covering the basics of design, and is an invaluable resource to those that have no design skills.

It covers four basic design principles:

• Contrast,
• Repetition,
• Alignment,
• Proximity,

and notes the unusual acronym created, and that it only makes it easier to remember. Each principle is analyzed and reviewed in detail, providing numerous examples for each. The abundance of examples is great, especially since each example covers a slightly different nuance to the design principle. Even the most skilled designer could learn something from this book.