Top 9 UX Books Everyone Must Read

Here are a few books which we’d call the go-to-books of UX design and are essential enough to be included on anyone's reading list.

The Elements of UX Experience (Jesse James Garret)

The book is at the top of any UXD course’s required reading list - and for good reason. It provides an excellent overview of the fundamental elements of User Experience design and delves into clear, well-structured modules. After reading it, you’ll gain a solid foundation in UX and a strong starting point for understanding what makes users happy when it comes to product design.

Don’t Make Me Think: Revisited (Steve Krug)

A main staple in any UX designer’s book collection, Krug’s book has provided valuable advice to thousands of developers and designers. It is clear and concise, featuring photos, illustrations, and entertainingly witty examples that make it an enjoyable read. Additionally, its well-organized layout and easy-to-follow navigation make it an excellent guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of UX.

The Non-Designers Design Book (Robin Williams)

Another popular book for User Experience beginners. It goes over design principles which allow easy application to projects even if you have a basic design knowledge. The author explains the simple design principles, from contrast to alignment, allowing beginners to take their designs from novice to professional. The writing offers the information in a clear and to the point presentation, which makes this book all the better for those just starting out in design.

The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman)

For a design book which is over three decades old, originally published in 1988, it is unsurprising fresh and extremely relevant in the world of design. For a designer, it is THE design book you must read, as it explores the essential universal principles of design. Although the book is focused primarily on product design, the underlying principles of usability make it relevant to those in UX design. The book highlights and gives examples of everyday products and items which have both good and bad user experiences, and how they could be solved simply by understanding the users needs and what the purpose of the product is.

100 Things a Designer Needs to Know About People (Susan M. Weinschenk Ph.D.)

This is a book which is more psychological, in that it delves into why and how people behave and react in the ways they do. It used research findings and verified data and scientific explanations to explain the human condition. There are many eye opening theories which any designer can apply to their designs to be beneficial to the user. You’ll be surprised at first read to come across not only common-sense theories, but also some others which initially you’d never have thought would apply to the world of design.

Universal Principles of Design (William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler)

With over 100 principles, this is an essential book for all designers. Each page has a design principle which offers the designer advice on improving usability and creating better decisions when designing. It is a great page flipper, that you can just pick up and open for a quick nugget of useful information. Ranging from anecdotes to principles and tips and advice on how to interact with clients, this is an enjoyable book to read and have as an informational tool.

Designing Interfaces (Jenifer Tidwell, Charles Brewer, Aynne Valencia)

Now in its third edit, this comprehensive guide delves into the art of creating intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces using design patterns and best practices. Each chapter introduces patterns with summaries that relate to broader concepts of interaction design, helping readers understand their application and relevance. The book is nicely illustrated with coloured examples, providing practical design advice applicable to mobile apps, web applications, and desktop software. Whether you're an experienced designer seeking inspiration or a novice looking for a roadmap, this book is a great source of knowledge for creating robust and usable interfaces.

Rocket Surgery Made Easy (Steve Krug)

Another book by Steve Krug, though this one is a companion book to his most popular release ‘Don’t Make Me Think’. It is a straightforward, practical guide to tackling usability issues without making it more complicated than it should be (something many UX Designers have a tendency to do). Krug makes the case that anyone can run effective usability tests which require no expensive tools or specialized expertise.

The book walks you through the process of finding and fixing problems in your website or app, from recruiting a group of testers through to running specifically tuned tests and analyzing the results. It includes clear examples, and step-by-step instructions, presented in a conversational tone, This book is a great resource for anyone in the design field, such as designers, developers, and product teams, basically anyone who wants to create user-friendly experiences.

Simple and Usable Web, Mobile, and Interaction Design (Giles Colborne)

Like most books on UX, this is a book all about the art of keeping things simple - and why that’s harder (and more important) than it looks. Colborne walks you through practical strategies for designing products that are not just functional but also user-friendly and intuitive to use.

The book breaks down the principles of simplicity into four key approaches: removing, organizing, hiding, and displacing. The book includes real-world examples to show how these methods can help you tackle complexity without losing usability. Whether you're designing for web, mobile, or anything in between, this book is filled with insights that’ll help you create better, more user-friendly designs.