Taking first a step back from visual aesthetics, ‘Good design principles’ have existed in the HCI literature since the 1980s, but most have their roots in human perception as discussed by the early gestalt psychologists.
Good design includes the so-called ‘CRAP’ Principles.
Good contrast makes it easy for the eyes to distinguish between foreground and background.
For example, the highly simplified white stick people in Figure 4 below stand out perfectly against the black background.