I second this suggestion, and also recommend reading about Gestalt psychology, since that's really the basis of design principles. Anecdote: I bought Universal

I second this suggestion, and also recommend reading about Gestalt psychology, since that's really the basis of design principles. Anecdote: I bought Universal principles of design in university to help me learn to do web design that didn't suck (only partially successful). At the time, I lived with a friend who was studying studio art. The book was assigned reading for one of her classes, so independently she bought a copy at the same time. Universal, indeed.