There are a couple of other design ebooks worth a look:
Sacha Greif's Step By Step UI Design: http://sachagreif.com/ebook/
Nathan Barry's ebooks: http://nathanbarry.com/app-design-handbook/ http://nathanbarry.com/webapps/
If I can answer any questions, leave a comment here or send me an email: hello <at> bootstrappingdesign {dot} /com/
I'm a bit late to the thread, but if anyone wants to get a sampling of the approach that I take to explaining design check out some sample articles I linked to on http://designforhackers.com
I talk about design more abstractly than most, but I try to keep it entertaining. More than anything I want you to see differently.
I also occasionally send out emails. If you sign up on that site I already have some queued up for new subscribers.
Sacha Greif also sends out some good emails: http://sachagreif.com and of course there's http://hackdesign.org (I'll even be doing a lesson on there eventually)
Also if you don't have a feed reader already, get one. It's really useful to subscribe to a few feeds about any area you want to familiarize yourself with. And then every day you get a litte kick to keep your mind focused on that topic.
- It's cliche, but read "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman [1]. It gives you a good sense of design's place in the greater world. The best design principles are as at home in a product development firm as they are in the software world.
- I own "Design for Hackers" by David Kadavy and I think it's pretty good. The content may or may not be "obvious" depending on your skill level, but he phrases things in a way that is understandable and reassuring to the engineering set. [2]
- There's a guy on HN (Jarrod Drysdale) who produced an eBook called "Bootstrapping Design". I haven't pulled the trigger on a purchase yet, but I need to. I've read his sample chapter and am subscribed to his newsletter and I think he's an excellent coach. [3]
- I keep a bookmark folder called "design inspiration" and when I find really cool sites or apps I save them here. You might also want to keep a clipping diary or something where you can keep notes for yourself about what you like and don't like about certain things.
- There's nothing wrong with imitation, within reason. EVERYONE stands on the shoulders of giants and the guy who designed that awesome site or app probably started by shamelessly copying existing stuff. In fact, I recommend that you spend some time trying to EXACTLY copy things you like. You'll start to get a feel for how to accomplish certain affects and, in general, you'll get design a little more "in the fingers".
- http://ux.stackexchange.com/
- Have a project. Have a project. HAVE A PROJECT. It's very difficult to just "learn design", just as it's very difficult to just "learn programming". Unless you're just a natural autodidact, you can read all the tutorials and books and whatever but, when it comes time to do something on your own, you'll just be sitting there staring at a blinking cursor (or an empty Photoshop document) unless you have some place to start.
I hope this all helps, and don't be afraid to share stuff on HN with us. There are plenty of folks who would love to give you positive criticism and feedback.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d...
[2] http://www.amazon.com/Design-Hackers-Reverse-Engineering-Bea...
[3] http://bootstrappingdesign.com/