Foreword / Jakob Nielsen. The Mess We're In. What Visual Designers Do. Art and Design. Functional vs. Aesthetic Concerns. Form, Function, and the Question of a Universal Aesthetic. Design and Rationality -- Elegance and Simplicity. Principles. Unity. Refinement. Fitness. Common Errors. Clutter and Visual Noise. Interference Between Competing Elements. Using Explicit Structure as a Crutch. Belaboring the Obvious. Overly Literal Translation. Excessive Detail and Embellishment. Gratuitous Dimensionality. All of the Above. Techniques. Reducing a Design to Its Essence. Regularizing the Elements of a Design. Combining Elements for Maximum Leverage -- Scale, Contrast, and Proportion. Background: Visual Variables. Principles. Clarity. Harmony. Activity. Restraint. Common Errors. Insufficient Contrast. Excessive Contrast. Visual Interference. Spatial Tension. Overextension. Awkward Dimensions. Techniques. The Squint Test. Establishing Perceptual Layers. Sharpening Visual Distinctions.