ART 101 (for the 1010 set)
Slashdot tackles art tips for programmers. Designers everywhere suffer myocardial infarction. (Fear not—many of the responses on that thread offer the following sound advice: Unless you’re willing to invest a large amount of time making graphic design a part of your skillset, you’re probably better off just hiring an artist for your project. They (often) work cheap, and (usually) produce great work. There are a few solid tips for the dabbler, as well, such as “be consistent”, “pick a few styles”, “learn about fonts”, “avoid clip art”.)