My bias:

First let me explain that I am new to web development but have been a coder (mostly self taught from books) sine 1978. So that is my bias in reviewing this book.

General comments:

As far as teaching books, this is one of the best I have ever seen. The author teaches mostly through examples, great ones, so that you see the point right away. There is just enough text to explain the point and no more. You will learn very quickly.

The book is 200 pages with examples taking up most of the space. The author says, “Don’t be afraid to create your Design (or your life) with plenty of blank space – it is rest for the eyes (and the Soul).” she practices what she preaches.

The book is about communicating information through good design.
Most of the examples are print examples but the principles (4 of them see below) apply equally to print or web pages. She has also published a book for web developers: The Non-Designer’s Web Book (with John Toland) see links below. I hope I can review this book and compare the two. (hint Linda)

As I read I kept saying:  “Wow what a nice job she has done on the after pieces of the before and after examples”. I am very impressed with her work.

The author has a good sense of humor and a very direct way of talking to you. She says, “Don’t be a wimp.”, multiple times in the book.

The 4 Principles

The author feels good design is as easy as 1 2 3. 1) Learn the principle. 2) Recognize when you are not using the principle. And 3) Apply the principles.

Principle 1: Contrast – The idea behind contrast is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar. If the elements (type, color, size, etc.) are not the same, then make them very different.

Principle 2: Repetition – Repeat visual elements of the design throughout the piece.

Principle 3: Alignment – Nothing on the page should be placed arbitrarily.

Principle 4: Proximity – Items relating to each other should be grouped close together.

There is a chapter for each of the principles. Each is fully explained with great examples. You will quickly see how improved your work will be if you use the principles.

There is a chapter that reviews these principles to see if you are catching on. It includes some quizzes. The answers are at the end of the book.

Other

The is a great chapter on color. I have always had trouble using color. I think from now on I will have great color usage on my pages.

There are 5 pages of web page examples. They are great but her other book is probably a must see for web designers.

There are 3 chapters on designing with type. I did not spend enough time here, sorry I ran out of time.

There is an appendix, a mini-glossary, and an index.

In Summary

If you haven’t been trained in design you need this book. (At least I do) You can learn a great deal quickly and start applying it immediately. With this book you will learn a lot quickly, have I said that enough? Could you just get a template and skip this book? Maybe, I don’t have enough experience with templates to know. But for a little effort you will learn a great deal and have great looking pages.

Amazon Links so you can read more:

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0321534042/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1211307941&sr=11-1

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Web-Book-3rd/dp/0321303377/ref=pd_sim_b_img_1