While I'm not an amazing designer by any means, my design skill have improved drastically in the last couple years. I'd say the most important things are practice, iteration, and inspiration.
Practice - Get a tool like Photoshop. Make a mockup, then turn it into a real website using HTML/CSS. Design at least 4 or 5 sites. You'll get better at Photoshop, better at HTML/CSS, and better at design.
Iteration - Don't expect to get a mockup right the first time; don't be satisfied with a mediocre first revision. Keep iterating on a design, tweaking it and changing it until it looks great. This part always takes me longer than both the initial design and the coding.
Inspiration - Coming up with designs from scratch is difficult. Instead, hang out on design-related websites (I especially like SmashingMagazine.com). Check out the numerous web design galleries online. There are also some cool UI galleries out there. Make note of what inspires you, and mix and match elements from different designs to create designs of your own. Or, just blatantly steal haha. I laugh, but I'm not kidding -- copying someone else's design is decent practice. And once you start iterating, it will become your own.
What's important is to realize that becoming a good designer is a path you must traverse; it's not a destination you can simply teleport to. So start walking!
Practice - Get a tool like Photoshop. Make a mockup, then turn it into a real website using HTML/CSS. Design at least 4 or 5 sites. You'll get better at Photoshop, better at HTML/CSS, and better at design.
Iteration - Don't expect to get a mockup right the first time; don't be satisfied with a mediocre first revision. Keep iterating on a design, tweaking it and changing it until it looks great. This part always takes me longer than both the initial design and the coding.
Inspiration - Coming up with designs from scratch is difficult. Instead, hang out on design-related websites (I especially like SmashingMagazine.com). Check out the numerous web design galleries online. There are also some cool UI galleries out there. Make note of what inspires you, and mix and match elements from different designs to create designs of your own. Or, just blatantly steal haha. I laugh, but I'm not kidding -- copying someone else's design is decent practice. And once you start iterating, it will become your own.
What's important is to realize that becoming a good designer is a path you must traverse; it's not a destination you can simply teleport to. So start walking!