From Andrew Houle's blog:
This post dissects 4 principles of web design that help you create cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing sites.
- Contrast
- Repetition
- Alignment
- Proximity
It’s unbelievable how much better your designs will become when you take into consideration these four basic principles. There are always more things to consider, but a foundation of contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity will improve your designs dramatically.