I just picked up three books on Design, based largely on the recommendations in the JavaPosse Roundup 09 sessions on the topic.  I haven’t read them yet, but just perusing them makes them look to be a lot of fun.  First, the Amazon links:

1. The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
2. Don’t Make Me Think!  A common sense approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
3. The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams

Everyday Things is actually about physical, industrial design, but a lot of the anecdotes, photographs, and diagrams seem to apply just as well to software design.  The Design Book steps a bit closer to my familiar software realms by covering general graphic design principles, largely for print media.  It covers the basics of Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, and Contrast, and a host of other things including color and type (font to us normals).  And lastly, Don’t Make Me Think! covers style and web patterns.  It has juicy bits on brevity, breadcrumbs, scanning patterns, and tons more.

I can’t wait!  Practical design has always been something I like.  I want to learn the best patterns.