Book Recommendations for Aspiring Superstar Product Designers ⭐️

Every now and then I’ll come across some guide on where to start if you are looking for a career pivot and move into the realm of UX or product design. Often times those guides will typically reference websites, certifications, or other expensive online courses or bootcamps. These books have helped me a ton in my UX career.

1 - Thinking In Systems

Kind of a surprising pick to start the list, I’ll admit. It’s an important, and kind of slept on book though. Thinking in Systems provides a powerful framework for understanding complex systems and how their parts interact. This is relevant to UX design as digital products and services are complex systems. The book teaches concepts like feedback loops, leverage points, and system archetypes, which can help designers understand user behavior within a larger context, identify root causes of usability issues, and design more holistic and sustainable solutions.

2 - Don’t Make Me Think

Don’t Make Me Think is a classic. One of the first books to really talk about web usability. It emphasizes the importance of creating websites and digital products that are intuitive and require minimal effort for users to understand and navigate. If a user has to stop and think about how to use something, the design has failed.

3 - About Face

If you were to only have one book from this list, this would be it. About Face is a foundational text in the field of interaction design. It focuses on goal-directed design, emphasizing understanding user goals and behaviors to create effective and user-friendly interfaces. The book covers principles of interaction design, mental models, and practical techniques for designing software and digital products. It's known for its strong emphasis on user research and creating products that align with how people actually think and work.

4 - Articulating Design Decisions

Communicating design decisions is every bit as important as designing. You can’t expect everyone to see what you see. This short guide focuses on the very crucial skill of effectively communicating and justifying design choices to stakeholders. It provides strategies and techniques for presenting design work clearly, handling feedback constructively, and building consensus around design decisions. The book emphasizes the importance of rationale, evidence, and storytelling in the design process.

5 - Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Another banger from Steve Krug. Rocket Surgery Made Easy is a companion piece for Don’t Make Me Think focused on usability testing. It provides a straightforward, step-by-step guide to conducting your own simple usability tests quickly and effectively, even with limited resources. Krug emphasizes the importance of "testing often and early" and highlights how even small usability tests can reveal significant issues and lead to valuable design improvements. It's known for its pragmatic approach to making websites and applications easier to use.