10 UX Books That Are Absolutely Worth Your Time Reading
To be honest, I can’t count how many UX books I have left half-read in the past years. But I’m also aware of the fact that reading is one of the best ways to get in-depth knowledge about user experience design. So, from time to time I force myself to read a book. In this post, I collected the best UX books that I have found in the last couple of years — those that did manage to grab my attention, and which I can truly advise reading.
1. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People - Susan Weinschenk
“When we’re unsure about what to do or buy, we look to testimonials, ratings, and reviews to tell us how to behave.”
Don’t be fooled by the rom-com title: this book combines real science and research to deliver a guide every designer needs. This means that it is not exclusively about product design: some of the examples can be useful for print designers or illustrators as well.
You will be surprised how much useful information is presented in it. This makes it an excellent tool to reinforce design principles and it gives rationale behind your design decisions.
Why I think it's one of the best design books:
This book is very appealing visually: it’s nicely illustrated and the layout is structured in a way that it is very easy to read. For instance, at the end of each topic, there is a section which gives you practical advice on how you can apply the given principle in your design.
The topics are not related to each other so you can read it anytime, even if you only have five minutes.
Just don’t forget to use your newly gained knowledge responsively, some of the examples cover the Dark side of UX.
2. The Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible”
The original title of this book was actually "The Psychology of Everyday Things" and it is not by chance, Norman’s work covers the basic concepts of cognitive psychology and ties them into usability and design.
The author explores phones, water faucets, doors, car keys looking for principles that show how these work well or poorly. Even though some of the examples seem outdated, all the design problems covered in the book still apply today.
Why to read it?
This book is so interesting that you will feel like reading fiction, Norman has a humorous yet credible writing style that makes this volume an effortless reading. After finishing this book you'll never look at another door or faucet the same way, and you will also learn to use professional sounding words like “affordance”.
Another great UX book on the topic is Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things by the same author, Don Norman.
3. Don't Make Me Think - Steve Krug
“Your primary role should be to share what you know, not to tell people how things should be done.”
This book is a true classic, if you haven't read anything about usability, this is a great one to start with. It was originally published in the early 2000s and that time it was mainly about websites, but the latest release has been reinforced with app usability as well.
What I like about Krug is that he teaches you the importance of usability testing while he also demystifies it: you will learn how to conduct basic user tests without getting top-heavy on the matter.
Why I think it's one of the best UX design books:
The goal, according to the book's introduction, was to make a text that could be read by an executive on a two-hour airplane flight, and the author keeps his promise.
This reading is short enough to keep your attention, but at the same time it is full of helpful information. Krug has a very casual writing style, the chapters are full of humorous, understandable explanations and visual side-by-side comparisons.
The author wrote another one of my favorite books, Rocket Surgery Made Easy.
4. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days - Jake Knapp
“Being in a curiosity mindset means being fascinated by your customers and their reactions.”
This is one of the first books we at our UX company purchased so that we have a constant copy in the office, for whenever someone from the team needs it. Former Google designer Jake Knapp created the concept of the five-day Sprint, in order to help companies to solve problems and answer crucial questions.
No wonder this book was quite a hit among product and UX designers when it was published last year. We are all curious what is the design process behind products like Google Search or Chrome.
Why to read it?
This book is one of the most comprehensive guides you can read about a lean design process, but the real value is not just the framework itself. We as a company use design sprints every week.
Behind every step and decision, there is always an engaging real-life story, which makes the whole book truly enjoyable. Furthermore, there is a vast amount of techniques included in the book, that can be applied across a wide variety of scenarios.
From the design sprint process of creating a customer-centric map to basic exercises like the Crazy 8’s.
Another top UX book on the topic:
If you are eager to learn more about "lean" in UX, I suggest you also check out Lean UX by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden.
5. Product Design – A Comprehensive Guide on Designing Digital Products People Will Love - David Pasztor
“When we have to make a choice, we always opt for a solution that is better for our users, even if this is not the currently trending thing which wins prizes.”
UX studio founder, David collected what he learned in the past 10 years about product design and research.
Regardless of whether you are a programmer, marketer, business developer or designer, this book is perfect for any player in the digital product development circle.
Why to read it?
This Product Design book covers many topics from the books above, and it puts the pieces together into a comprehensive guide. It is full of real-life examples and illustrations, easy to read but loaded with a vast amount of useful information.
6. Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience
If you are working in the field of UX and have read Lean Startup then it could be mostly unnecessary for you. On the other hand, if you are not a UX person but are interested in Lean UX - by all means, this is a great start to understand what is needed.
In my opinion, most of the concepts very much surface thinking. So, unfortunately, you won't get a deeper knowledge of the tradeoffs and barriers companies will face.
Why to read it?
Lean UX won the 2013 Jolt Award from Dr. Dobb's Journal as the best book of the year for a reason. This book shows you how to collaborate closely with other members of the product team, and gather feedback early and often. You’ll learn how to drive the design in short, iterative cycles to evaluate what works best for the business and the user. Lean UX shows you how to make this transition — for the better.
You will learn how to frame a vision of the problem you’re solving and focus your team on the right outcomes. Also, why bring the designers’ toolkit to the rest of your product team.
Why is it important to share your insights with your team much earlier in the process or build Minimum Viable Products to determine which ideas are valid.
And the best thing is they captured their ideas in a book that could be read in one sitting.
7. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests, Second Edition - Jeffrey Rubin, Dana Chisnell
What is the limit of a usability test? How to design the test methods according to users’ needs?
From cover to cover, it's full of useful insights about every aspect of testing, based on the combined experience of two seasoned - and very smart - practitioners.
Why to read it?
I very much welcome the understanding that sacrifices to scientific rigor are often necessary for a fast-paced business environment or with few resources and little time, and the solutions suggested for accounting for this scenario! The book also directs to additional reading material and makes clear that this is a robust subject that should be studied in detail if seriously implementing within a company. The most essential thing this book gave me, however, was an understanding of when to use "quick and dirty" usability testing and when to perform a more careful study.
I found it very handy and informative and it's a pleasure to read.
8. UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want - Jaime Levy
I've been searching for a book that clearly outlines the process from start to finish for validating a business idea, and this book does exactly that. It demonstrates how to take an idea from concept to either kill, pivot, or execution, which originates for an easy-to-follow approach to UX strategy.
User experience (UX) strategy requires a careful combination of business strategy and UX design, but until now, there hasn’t been an easy-to-apply framework for executing it. This hands-on guide introduces lightweight strategy tools and techniques to help you and your team craft innovative multi-device products that people want to use.
Why to read it?
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, UX/UI designer, product manager, or part of an intrapreneurially team, this book teaches simple-to-advanced strategies that you can use in your work right away. Along with business cases, historical context. The book is very well written with a straight to the point writing style and a wide variety of examples that help readers see how the UX concepts are implemented in real life.
You’ll also gain different perspectives on the subject through interviews with top strategists. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with UX strategy, whether you are the strategist or simply working in a field that needs a UX strategy.
9. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products - Nir Eyal
Why do some products capture broad attention while others flop? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us?
Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behaviour. Through continuous “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on expensive advertising or aggressive messaging.
Why to read it?
It is written not only for designers, but for product managers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who wants deeper knowledge how products influence our behaviour.
If you're trying to build the next big app, you need user engagement. This book lays down a model building engagement by having users regularly return to your app. In the beginning, this is prompted, but eventually, it'll become instinct. This is how viral loops are formed.
This book is really easy to read. It sets out a practical framework of how to apply it with examples, without being overly verbose on history and research.
10. Understanding Your Users: A Practical Guide to User Research Methods (Interactive Technologies) - Kathy Baxter, Catherine Courage
The new and completely updated edition is not just a re-tread of the first. It sets a new standard for 'when' and 'why' to use research techniques, and for providing the actual "how-to's" it leaves other popular 'Methods' books in the dust.
You'll learn about many distinct user research methods and also pre- and post-method considerations such as recruiting, facilitating activities or moderating, negotiating with product developments teams/customers, and getting your results incorporated into the product. The central part of the book covers 7 categories of methods, with numerous examples of how to prepare, deploy, report, and act on the findings. Each chapter includes resources, best practices, tips to gain adoption and engagement, and links to help practitioners hit the ground running with their research.
Why read it?
Every method presented provides various information about the users and their requirements. These techniques have helped product teams understand the value of user experience research by providing insight into how users behave and what they need to be done.
“Understanding Your User” has something to offer whether you are new to user experience or a seasoned UX professional. After reading this book, you'll be ready to pick the right user research method for your research question and lead a user research study. Then, you will be able to apply your findings to your own products.
- Explore the foundation you need to prepare for any user research project and ensure that the results are incorporated into your products
- Includes all-new case studies for each method from leaders in industry and academia
10+1. Ruined by Design: How Designers Destroyed the World, and What We Can Do to Fix It - Mike Monteiro
In this book, Monteiro perfectly describes a harsh reality and provides clear actionable steps that we can incorporate into our lives in hopes of turning things around.
He thinks that the world is operating exactly as designed and it’s not working very well. He’s damn right. As designers, we need to do a better job of designing it.
Design is a craft with an amazing amount of power. The power to decide. The power to influence. We need to see ourselves as gatekeepers of what we are bringing into the world, and what we choose not to bring into the world. Design is a craft with responsibility. The responsibility to help create a better world for all. Design is also a craft with a lot of blood on its hands. Every cigarette ad is on us. Every gun is on us. Every ballot that a voter cannot understand is on us. Every time social network’s interface allows a stalker to find their victim, that’s on us.
Why to read it?
If you’re a designer, this book might make you angry. It should make you angry. But it will also give you the tools you need to make better decisions. You will learn how to evaluate the potential benefits and harm of what you’re working on. You’ll learn how to present your concerns.
You’ll get to know the importance of building and working with diverse teams who can approach problems from multiple points-of-view. You’ll see how to make a case using data and good storytelling. You’ll learn to say NO in a way that’ll make people listen. But mostly, this book will fill you with the confidence to do the job the way you always wanted to be able to do it. This book will help you understand your responsibilities.
Want to read something short and sweet?
Here is our free Product Manager's guide to UX design now! In this e-book, we describe our design process and what it's like to work with our UX team.
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