To stay connected with the UX industry, you could attend retreats or live events, join a UX community, Facebook groups, and so on. But thereâs another strategy that some designers donât set aside time forâreading UX design books.
The best UX design books provide a unique way of understanding the origin of UX, its process, methodologies, etc. Some books are so insightful and practical that you may feel like youâre taking a UX design course all over again.
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Why should you read UX design books?
In an industry as dynamic as UX design, isolating yourself is one of the easiest ways to render your skill set obsolete. User needs and preferences are constantly changing. As UX designers, we must be able to keep up with these changes. One of the best ways to achieve that is by reading UX design books.
Some books will help you understand how users think. Others will give you fresh perspectives on approaching UX design. Some even share practical research-backed tips on creating pleasant user experiences. Put simply; the best UX design books will enrich your learning journey, helping you become a better UX designer.
But itâs not all about improving your UX design skills. A few UX design books go beyond user experience design to teach you about business and entrepreneurship. This is critical if you want to take your UX design practice to the next level.Â
Weâve done the heavy lifting to compile the different types of UX design books that every designer needs to read. Of course, weâd love to see you read all the books on this list since they all bring something new to the table. But thereâs no pressure. You can pick one and start your journey from there. The best part is that most of these books are quick reads, so they shouldnât take too much of your time.Â
About Face by Alan Cooper, David Cronin, Robert Reimann, and Christopher Noessel is one of the most influential books in interaction design. We lovingly refer to it as the UX Bible. This book will help you understand how to create awesome, user-friendly designs.
Alan Cooper (also known as the âFather of Visual Basicâ) also shares his Goal-Directed Design Method in this book. The method focuses on the three Ps; principles, patterns, and processes. Youâll learn how to understand usersâ needs and behaviors. Youâll then be taught how to create a product design that actually meets the usersâ needs.
About Face also introduces designers to a fourth P in the sixth chapter called Practice. Youâll find this chapter very useful, especially if youâre managing or building a team of designers. Cooper shares the strategy he uses to hire designers for his firm in this section. Youâll learn about the two unique roles of designers, âGeneratorsâ and âSynthesizers.â Heâll also explain why a successful UX design team needs both. Itâs all pretty enlightening stuff.
In our opinion, this book is a must-read for all designers. Too many creatives struggle with talking about and presenting their designs. Thatâs a real shame because your work will only be recognized if you can actually garner support for your designs. Thatâs what this book will help you with.
Articulating Design Decisions by Tom Greever teaches designers how to better collaborate with and talk to stakeholders. It comes packed with actionable tactics on how to present your designs.
For example, youâll learn how to prepare your slide deck and how to do the actual design presentation. Youâll also learn to empathize with stakeholders and see things from their perspectives. Your explicit and implicit listening skills will improve significantly after reading this book.
Think about this; you canât really scale your design career if you canât hold productive meetings with stakeholders. You also canât operate in a siloâyou need to interact with other people. This book doesnât just teach how to hold these interactions. Youâll learn how to get the most out of them, which should ultimately help you create delightful designs and a prosperous career.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman is a timeless classic. This book was first published in 1988, but it remains a favorite among most UX designers to this day. Sure, a lot has changed since 1988, but most of the principles discussed in the book are still relevant.Â
The Design of Everyday Things walks readers through the special relationship between designers and users. It also shows you how the design of simple devices can leave users questioning their intelligence. Think the âNorman doorâ that leaves people feeling dumb after pulling a push door or vice versa.Â
The entire concept of the book is actually perfectly captured in the bookâs cover, which shows a kettle with the spout facing the wrong direction.
The revised book will leave you questioning some design choices. Like, should push doors have handles at all?! But, this is not just a mysterious book thatâll leave you with questions. Don Norman will also show you that creating usable designs is perfectly possible.
The Design of Everyday Things is a must-read for all UX designers (and aspiring UX designers!). The book focuses on the design of physical products, which makes sense since itâs 30+ years old. But since UX applies to both digital and physical experiences, most of the gems shared also apply to the design of modern digital products.
Creative Confidence was written by David Kelley and Tom Kelley. The two brothers explore the âcreativity myth.â Itâs an unfortunate myth that we all intrinsically know about. This myth has many people believing that creativity is something that only a select few possess. Creative Confidence shatters that myth, showing readers that there is no such thing as âIâm not the creative type.â Everyone has a creative side in them, period.
Just like the title says, this book gives you the confidence you need to explore your creativity.Â
David and Tom Kelley share several exhilarating stories throughout the book. They talk about their experiences working with different clients at IDEO. They also discuss the struggles and the fun side of innovations. Youâll learn how to use the everyday things that bug or annoy you to identify design opportunities.
Creative Confidence is an excellent read for aspiring designers and anyone else struggling with their creativity.
Start With Why is not a UX design-related book. However, it is a book that will expand your mindset and help you become a better UX designer.Â
As the title suggests, this book emphasizes the âwhy.â Why do people do what they do? It helps readers find their purpose, driving them to do better and become more successful.
The author, Simon Sinek, shares multiple examples of leaders and companies that focused on the âwhyâ and how that influenced their success. He talks about Steve Jobs and Apple, for exampleâhow the company focused on why they were creating their products. He then explains how that mindset elevated them into one of the largest companies in the world.
Weâd recommend Start With Why to anyone, not just designers. For new and aspiring UX designers, this book will challenge you to ask yourself why you want a career in this field in the first place. Beyond that, it will teach you the importance of starting with âwhyâ when creating a particular design. This mindset will help you create better product designs that actually deliver value and solve real problems.
Being presented with a vast number of options sounds good on paper. I mean, who wouldnât want to be in a position where they can choose between dozens of great careers, vacation destinations, etc.? Itâs easy to assume that more options mean more freedom and better satisfaction. But guess what? That couldnât be further from the truth.
Several experts, including Dr. Swartz, argue that the more options we have, the more doubtful, anxious, and overwhelmed we become. Thatâs the paradox of choice.
In this book, psychologist Barry Schwartz makes a counterintuitive argument that consumers donât need too many options. He advocates for the limitation of choices and the elimination of unnecessary options. In doing so, he explains that consumers are likely to experience a greater sense of gratification with their choices. Fewer choices will also eliminate anxiety and self-doubt.
The concepts in this book will help you better understand human psychology. Youâll learn how to refine your designs with the userâs needs in mindânot their wants. Because while users may believe they want more options, in reality, more options will only overwhelm them. What they need is a pleasant and meaningful experience, which you can deliver in a simpler design.
Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden demonstrates the importance of prioritizing the product experience over deliverables. It teaches you to integrate UX design, product discovery, product management, and agile methodologies to create excellent solutions.
Youâll also learn how to create your designs in shorter iterative cycles. These cycles make it easier to assess and ensure your designs align with the usersâ or businessâs needs.
One thing I love about Lean UX is how practical it is. Gothelf shares some real-life case studies about how firms in different industries have implemented the tactics shared in the book. Make sure to have a pen and paper handy to take some notes.Â
Lean UX is a brilliant read. Itâs especially helpful for folks who are already in the industry.Â
100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People is more of a reference guide than anything else. Thatâs why youâll probably end up reading it over and over again.
Written by Dr. Susan Weinschenk, this UX design book takes you back to the basics. It teaches you how people see, think, read, and helps you better understand their motivations. Dr. Weinschenk also shares some tactics on how to utilize the latest research on social, perceptual, and cognitive psychology to create successful UX designs.
Moreover, the book will give you some priceless insights. Youâll understand what grabs and holds peopleâs attention. Youâll also learn the impact of central and peripheral vision, the perfect length for text, and how to make memories stick.
The knowledge and tactics shared will help you create better user experiences. Additionally, youâll be able to build products that hold usersâ attention and deliver higher conversion rates.
100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People is a must-read for beginners. Intermediate and experienced designers will also find it really helpful as a reference point.Â
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries is a best seller on Amazon with over 9,000 reviews. In this book, Ries provides a new approach to developing startups. He argues that most startups fail due to mistakes that can be avoided through the lean startup approach.
Instead of creating an elaborate business plan, Eric makes what used to be a counterintuitive argument that you need an agile and flexible approach. Thatâs what the lean startup approach is.Â
This book teaches entrepreneurs how to use âvalidated learningâ and rapid experimentation to determine what works and what the customers really need. Through this approach, companies can adapt, adjust, and shift direction quickly based on what seems to work.Â
But itâs not just about companies or startups. According to Ries, the approach can work just as well for new product launches in companies of all sizes.
As you can tell, The Lean Startup doesnât specifically talk about user experience, user experience research, usability, or any of that stuff. This book is more about how to build a new product or startup successfully in an environment full of extreme uncertainty. However, many of the principles shared in the book can be used during the UX design process. Youâll also find it very useful if you ever decide to launch your own business.Â
Of course, this list wouldnât be complete without including Donât Make Me Think by Steve Krug. This masterpiece is wonderfully written with great utilizations of imagery and humor that are guaranteed to keep you hooked.Â
Written more than 20 years ago, the book is as educational as it is entertaining. It primarily focuses on usability. The author shares practical tactics for creating intuitive designs. Some of these tactics appear like common sense, but youâd be surprised at how easy they are to overlook.
Steve Krug also provides some tips on creating usable websites and the mistakes to avoid. For example, he talks about reducing the text on your design because it bores users. He makes his point using billboards as an example.Â
When people drive past a billboard, theyâre likely to scan or skim through it in seconds. They donât have the time to read every word. Similarly, websites only have a few seconds to capture the users' attention. That canât be achieved with a text-heavy design. Thatâs why a solid UX design requires concise and clear text.
We also like that Steve Krug backs his tactics with examples and case studies throughout the book.Â
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Summary
Every book on this list offers something unique that will help you grow into a polished UX designer.Â
So, whether you want to learn the principles of a good UX design or how the human psyche works, youâll find the right book here. Also, most of the books on this list are perfect for designers of all skill levels.Â