In the world of user experience design, there are many approaches to solving design problems. Depending on how you gained your education and experience in the field, you may prefer one approach or another. I find it is helpful to read about other people’s experiences and approaches to solving design problems. Often, opportunities present themselves to draw on this knowledge and apply it.
This is the Web.Page team’s Top Five Recommended UX Design Books.
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, Steve Krug
A fascinating read, Steve Krug’s foundational guide to everything from intuitive navigation and information design to overall presentation is a must-read. It has been revamped since the original 2000 edition to include even more relevant examples.
The Design of Everyday Things, Don Norman
Don Norman is a legend in the design community. While this book is technically about product design for appliances such as toasters, hair dryers and elevators etc. the same principles of good usability, user research and testing apply to digital product design.
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People, Susan Weinschenk
Foundational information every designer must know about why people act the way they do, make the decisions they make etc. This book combines science and research to give practical examples to designers looking to engage users through their work.
About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, Christopher Noessel, David Cronin, Robert Reimann, Alan Cooper
Consumers have little tolerance for websites and apps that don’t live up to their expectations. About Face is the book that brought interaction design out of research labs and into the cultural lexicon. This updated fourth edition has new information that every designer should have.
Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights, Steve Portigal
While many people believe that interviewing users is a foundations skill that everyone has, that is not the case. Using proper interview techniques can allow you to collect valuable insights while conducting interviews incorrectly can lead to misinformation. Interviewing Users is an essential guide for anyone conducting user research.
For more ideas to add to your reading list, check out the Monster Book List.