There are literally hundreds of UX design books out there. Some are great for beginners others are more suitable for established UX designers. It is so easy to get lost, especially if you are just starting out in UX.
I was there. I spent hours browsing through dozens of best UX design books lists, and even more hours looking deep into UX books that were recommended by experienced UX designers. Some books I found to be very helpful, others not so much.
You see, I have very high standards for books, especially books on design. I enjoy reading, but I also value my time. I prefer shorter books that get to the point quickly, the books that are clearly laid out, the books that offer plenty of practical examples that are easy to relate to.
Below is my recommended list of essential UX design books suitable for beginners.
The list is not comprehensive. These are the books that I actually read and found to be instrumental in shaping my career as a UX designer. These are the books that I frequently recommend to other UX designers, and anyone interested in learning about UX design.
If you are completely new to UX design I’d recommend starting with the following books. They are a great primer on UX design for beginners. These books will give you a great overview of the field of UX design in general and will introduce you to design process and methods in specific.
There is some overlap between the books, and I don’t suggest you should read them all. Of course it doesn’t hurt to review, or hear an explanation from a different perspective.
You will notice that most of these books were published in 2010-2013. Let not that scare you off. They are as relevant today as they were a decade ago!
1. The Elements of User Experience
If you read only one book on UX design it should be The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett. At the very least, it should be the first UX book you read! Seriously!
The Elements is arguably the most important UX design book published to date, and it’s a great introduction to UX design.
It is great because it gives a comprehensive overview of important concepts of UX design, and introduces a very practical framework for thinking and talking about UX design.
This book will tell you what you need to know before you go read those other books. If you need the big picture, if you need to understand the context for the decisions that user experience practitioners make, this book is for you
– Jesse James Garrett, author of The Elements of User Experience
The Elements will clear up a lot of beginner questions like what is the difference between UX, UI, Interaction Design. It will also introduce basic design process, and common terms that you will come across as you learn more about UX design.
The author introduces 5 planes of UX and talks about the elements of each plane:
I won’t spoil it for you much more. Get it and read it! It is an absolute must read! Buy The Elements of User Experience
2. Don’t Make Me Think
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug is a classic book on usability. It is a short, fun and yet very practical guide on a common sense approach to design.
Don’t let the light hearted presentation distract you from the genuinely practical and useful advice in the book!
This is probably the most popular UX design book out there. Strictly speaking it is about usability. It is very accessible and popular among the designers as well as developers and really anyone who contributes to digital products.
I would say it is not as deep as The Elements in a sense that it addresses fairly superficial problems of design (higher planes of the Elements). But lessons learned from Don’t Make me Think will be immediately applicable.
Also be warned that learning about common usability mistakes will open your eyes to them, so you will never be able to use the web in the same way. Buy Don’t Make Me Think.
3. The User Experience Team of One
The User Experience Team of One is written by Leah Buley. This is another good introductory book on UX design but with a twist.
The title really says it all. This book addresses a range of skills and challenges a UX designer might face being a solo designer at a company or on a team (a very common scenarios).
The book covers philosophy (or mindset) of a UX designer as well as methods that are commonly used in the industry for research as well as design itself. Don’t let the title scare you away. It is a great book for beginners! Buy The User Experience Team of One
4. Undercover User Experience Design
Undercover User Experience Design by Cennydd Bowles is a hidden gem.
It is somewhat similar to The User Experience Team of One. It is written for practicing UX designer who find themselves in situations where there is not much support for UX design activities (still a common occurrence even with the companies that hire UX designers). Nevertheless, the book is full of practical advice and very useful tips for UX designers regardless of their level of experience or a company they are working at.
It talks about ways to carry out user research and design activities on a tight budget and with limited support and resources. There are ideas that you can definitely use even if you are just starting out in UX Design. Buy Undercover User Experience Design
5. Articulating Design Decisions
Tom Greever managed to write one of the most important books on design and communication. Now in the second edition it is a must read for any UX designer, and really everyone in the tech industry.
This is not necessarily a beginner book (it is not really a design book either). However, the message it sends is so important that you should plan to read it several times throughout your career.
Actually, when I was leading a design team, I asked my team mates to read this book at least once every year! It is that good and that important! Ignore at your own peril, as they say!
Buy Articulating Design Decisions (also available as audiobook).
The Design of Everyday Things
As you can see, I don’t recommend The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman to beginners.
It’s a good book, but not so great for beginners.
It is written in a somewhat academic language that I personally find hard to understand. I also find that it is not particularly practical (at least compared to other books on this list).
If you are already reading it, that’s fine. And if you’d like to read it, do add it to your reading list. But I suggest you read other UX design books on the list first.
Do you like learning from books? What are your favourite beginner UX books? What books have you read? And which ones would you recommend to fellow design students? Please leave your comments below!
Also please let me know if you need more UX book recommendations.
