From my perspective on the web design world, there is generally a disconnect between web development and web design. One is a logical, objective progression; the other is an artistic, subjective progression. Where one person can create a solid, nicely functional website, they may feel more hesitant about what looks right from the design side.

The governing idea behind Principles of Beautiful Web Design is that good design is about the relationship between the elements involved, and creating a balance between them. That point is made that you should avoid fads and that it is the finishing touches that make the best impression. The goal of Principles of Beautiful Web Design is to provide you with some knowledge about good design that is easy to understand and apply, basically taking an artistic, subjective endeavor and making it logical and objective.

Principles of Beautiful Web Design is divided into five chapters and is geared toward those who "feel squeamish about choosing colors, feel uninspired by a blank browser window or get lost trying to choose the right font." The content is directed toward the programmer or developer, but anyone who deals in web-based products - project leaders, sales personnel, managers, etc - will also learn a great deal.

Chapter one, "Layout and Composition," will show you how to gain an awareness of design and how it relies on understanding spatial relationships that exist between components within a design. It begins by examining the possible page components and ends with the beginning of a layout for examination throughout the book. The author also discusses tools and examples that will help you with your own designs. This is all about the nuts and bolts of web design.

Chapter two, "Color," explores what to many is one of the more mysterious aspects of web design — color selection. Here Beaird examines both the aesthetic and scientific aspects of color theory. Adding some tips for creating harmonies of color combinations, he shows you how anyone can choose a set of colors that will work well in any website. What I like here is how he describes the psychology of color and how it affects the perception that your site will convey to the visitor.