My main goal was: 1 - Make it a single page 2 - Focus more on bio/profile/goal/whatever 3 - Focus on projects and passion more than work experience
I've heard that "bios are the new resume" and I tend to agree. I also think that actual code is more important than experience (hence the focus on projects and github).
1.) Two or three colors color scheme 2.) Simple vertical alignment 3.) 2 fonts: 1 for headings and one for body text 4.) One or two simple graphics 5.) Don't let it resemble a MS Office template
Here's a slightly dated resume of mine: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58767/zkoch-resume.pdf
I opt for a simple outline format. I've seen a lot of fancy designs, but I think if someone is looking for specifics, an outline is easiest. As an engineering student, I have the headings of Education, Employment, Projects, and Skills.
Keep it at one page.
The goal was to fit everything onto a single page. Laid out in HTML and simply saved to PDF with Safari.
I've taken the approach of doing away with a discrete "Skills" section and just bolding relevant keywords in my work and education entries.
I always like kjhealy's resume on github.
Hope it gives some pointers!