Tired of making web sites that work absolutely perfectly but just don't look nice?

If so, then The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is for you. A simple, easy-to-follow guide, illustrated with plenty of full-color examples, this book will lead you through the process of creating great designs from start to finish. Good design principles are not rocket science, and using the information contained in this book will help you create stunning web sites. Understand the design process, from discovery to implementation Understand what makes good design Developing pleasing layouts using grids, the rule of thirds, balance and symmetry Use color effectively, develop color schemes and create a palette Use textures, lines, points, shapes, volumes and depth Learn how good typography can make ordinary designs look great Effective imagery: choosing, editing and placing images And much more

Throughout the book, you'll follow an example design, from concept to completion, learning along the way. The book's full-color layout and large format (8 x 10) make The Principles Of Beautiful Wed Design a pleasure to read.

Editorial Reviews

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is a good book to kick start your graphic-design journey. The biggest benefit that I got from this book is the knowledge to learn from great designs as opposed to just admiring them in a state of awe. - Slashdot.org

Jason is a great writer, and the book is quite easy to read. It's put together wonderfully, including many full color screenshots and other forms of imagery that make the book a pleasure to read. I'd definitely recommend the book to anyone in Web design. - MondayByNoon

Jason Beaird covers webdesign in a way that non-designers can understand. He walks you through all of the aspects of design development from initial meeting to finished product. If you are just getting into web development, this is a must read. - Blogcritics.org

This is a thoroughly practical guide to web design that is very well written: good technical depth in easy-to-understand language with excellent illustrations and graphics that support the text. For many users it will be the only web-design text they will need. For those who want to further advance their skills and knowledge it will provide a sound foundation. - PC Update

His Don't just tell, show style makes this book accessible to everyone... It strikes a carefully thought-out balance between describing principles and illustrating them. It is clear and well structured, with practical examples in every chapter. - Mitch Wheat

In his introduction, Beaird compares web design to interior design, noting that the "high readability" hit counters and chunky table borders of yesteryear are the web design world's "shag carpets, sparkly popcorn ceilings, and faux wood paneling." He starts by defining good design, then presents the fundamentals of page layout, color, texture, typography, and imagery. Though design principles are the focus, he often includes tips for using CSS and also demonstrates how CSS allows designers to better control the look of their web sites. He includes numerous examples of well-designed sites, web addresses for more inspiring web pages, and addresses for useful resources such as free font download sites and an online tool for comparing HTML type. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"The Web Developer's Design Manual" is practical, pragmatic guide to the visual aspects of website design, presented in a full-color book.

Aimed at web developers and techies who have experience in writing code but are complete novices to creating aesthetically pleasing webpages and user interfaces.

You will learn about:

Layout: the anatomy of a webpage color & texture: the aesthetics of color, creating a color palette, gradients & curves, shadows, softening edges typography: typeface distinctions, font sizing, text block treatments image usage: image sources, focal points, cropping, framing, shadows and more.

The book has a practical focus, and does not dwell on lofty discussions of theory or artsy but impractical design.

Tired of making web sites that work absolutely perfectly but just don't look nice?

If so, then "The Principles of Beautiful Web Design" is for you. A simple, easy-to-follow guide, illustrated with plenty of full-color examples, this book will lead you through the process of creating great designs from start to finish. Good design principles are not rocket science, and using the information contained in this book will help you create stunning web sites. Understand the design process, from discovery to implementation Understand what makes "good design" Developing pleasing layouts using grids, the rule of thirds, balance and symmetry Use color effectively, develop color schemes and create a palette Use textures, lines, points, shapes, volumes and depth Learn how good typography can make ordinary designs look great Effective imagery: choosing, editing and placing images And much more

Throughout the book, you'll follow an example design, from concept to completion, learning along the way.