This is a great article about the basics of design. It's the sort of thing that anybody thinking about designing their own website should read first, just to give them an idea of the sorts of things you need to take into account. The last thing you want is to end up with a website like Strategic Hedgemony, or whatever it's actually called.
Also, anyone who's ever been the client of a designer or intends to be the client of a designer should read Be Cooler by Design in this month's Fast Company magazine.
Thanks to Brainstorms & Raves and Web Pages That Suck for the links.