best books for ux research

Integrations

What's new?

In-Product Prompts

Participant Management

Interview Studies

Prototype Testing

Card Sorting

Tree Testing

Live Website Testing

Automated Reports

Templates Gallery

Choose from our library of pre-built mazes to copy, customize, and share with your own users

Browse all templates

Financial Services

Tech & Software

Product Designers

Product Managers

User Researchers

By use case

Concept & Idea Validation

Wireframe & Usability Test

Content & Copy Testing

Feedback & Satisfaction

Content Hub

Educational resources for product, research and design teams

Explore all resources

Question Bank

Research Maturity Model

Guides & Reports

Help Center

Future of User Research Report

The Optimal Path Podcast

User Research

Aug 9, 2022

11 UX research books to streamline your process & improve your skills

UX research and design is a fast-moving industry—keep up with the latest developments and further your UX knowledge with these 11 hand-picked UX books.

Ella Webber

Improving and developing your product requires that you also continuously improve and develop your own knowledge and skills. With the right resources, you’re always learning— about your product, your users, and how to synthesize both.

UX research looks into how users interact with your product, and how you can improve the experience from start to finish. Good UX research uncovers issues before they arise, and enables you to make informed decisions to provide the best user experience possible.

Continually learning and broadening your research horizons is an absolute must for improving your UX research skills and developing as a UX designer.

These 11 books—plus four bonus reads—provide key insights into UX research, and highlight the ways you can approach design for your product. Let’s take a look at your reading list:

• The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide | Leah Buley
• Just Enough Research | Erika Hall
• Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy | David Travis & Philip Hodgson
• Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology | David C. Evans
• User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research | Stephanie Marsh
• Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell
• Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research | Jeff Sauro and James R. Lewis
• Interviewing Users: Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal
• Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior | Indi Young
• Usable Usability: Simple Steps for Making Stuff Better | Eric Reiss
• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk

11 Best UX research books to improve your researching skills

1. the user experience team of one: a research and design survival guide | leah buley.

The User Experience Team of One | Leah Buley

Leah Buley’s User Experience Team of One focuses on conducting UX research with fewer resources and less time than a traditional UX team. It’s the go-to book for practical UX research tips and techniques on a budget.

In this book, Buley shares her knowledge from many years in the experience design industry, during which she worked in key user experience roles at Publicis Sapient, InVision, and Intuit. Her professional career has consisted of researching and analyzing what makes design teams successful, and design’s overall role in a business.

The book guides readers from the very start of the design process—getting everyone onboard—to the very end—testing and validation methods. The book also includes a chapter on evangelism methods—for advocating for design and inspiring others—as well as next steps following your research.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $39.39

2. Just Enough Research | Erika Hall

Next up is Erika Hall’s Just Enough Research —the guide to asking better questions and thinking critically about the responses. It’s one of two books written by Erika Hall, who shares her 20+ years of knowledge as Co-Founder of Mule Design Studios. In Just Enough Research, Erika shares the tried and tested UX research methods you can implement right away, no matter your team size or budget.

Just Enough Research covers the basics and the process, as well as topics like organizational research, user and customer research, evaluative research, surveys, and more. The book aims to help you uncover your own blind spots and biases, while understanding and harnessing your findings in order to do better research, faster.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $29

🎧 Find out more about Erika and her thoughts on the relationship between design and business on The Optimal Path Podcast .

3. Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy | David Travis & Philip Hodgson

Think Like a UX Researcher | David Travis & Philip Hodgson

Think Like a UX Researcher is a dive-in-anywhere book that looks to challenge the preconceptions you have about UX research. It looks at how you can plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action, and ultimately build a career in UX.

It includes some stand-out features, including thought triggers and exercises to test your UX knowledge, workshop ideas to strengthen your team’s UX muscles, and stories from experienced researchers detailing how you can implement UX research methods in your organization.

With over 50 years of UX research experience between them, Travis and Hodgson know a thing or two about investigating the user experience. It’s an insightful read for finding tools, inspiration and ideas to rejuvenate your thinking, inspire your team, and improve your craft.

Published 2019 | Buy the book | $45.56

4. Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology | David C. Evans

Bottlenecks | David C. Evans

David Evans’ Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology connects cognitive psychology to explain the dos and don’ts of UX design. The book analyzes key concepts—such as perception and attention—on a psychological level before linking it back to UX design to uncover the best design for users.

Evans holds a Ph.D. in social psychology and currently works as a Senior Manager of Customer Research at Microsoft. In Bottlenecks , Evans shares the psychological processes impacting design success, before and after examples of pages enhanced by psychological alignments, and hypotheses for research to help better meet user needs.

The book promises to help designers, usability and user researchers, marketers and entrepreneurs with strategies for marketing and product development in the age of behavioral targeting. It’s essential reading for UX researchers and designers interested in learning more about the relationship between psychology and user experience design.

Published 2017 | Buy the book | $27.46

5. User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research | Stephanie Marsh

User Research | Stephanie Marsh

Stephanie Marsh’s User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research is key reading for marketing and product leaders looking to implement UX research in their organization. It looks at key UX research methods—such as user testing, card sorting, surveys, A/B testing, and more—as well as how to interpret and analyze obtained data.

Marsh is an experienced UX researcher who’s dived into the user experience at a number of different organizations, including User Experience Manager at HSBC and User Experience Lead at the UK Ministry of Defence. They’re now UX Research Operations Lead at Springer Nature Group.

The book consists of 30 chapters separated into three main sections: the fundamentals, selecting and using user research methods, and analyzing and presenting your data. User Research is a practical guide that walks readers through the wide array of user research methods and how to use them.

Published 2022 | Buy the book | $40.27

6. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

Handbook of Usability Testing | Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

The Handbook of Usability Testing is a great intro into the tools and techniques necessary to create effective usability tests. It’s a practical guide for usability testing beginners, and a useful resource for teams looking to take UX research to the next level.

Both Rubin and Chisnell have ample experience in the UX research space, with a specific focus on usability testing. Rubin’s experience comes from 30 years as a human factors and usability research consultant and lecturer, and Chisnell’s from a career as a usability, user interface design, and technical communications consultant since 1982.

This UX research book dives deep into usability testing, including a rigorous step-by-step approach, common pitfalls to avoid, real-life examples and case histories, and usable templates, models, tables, and more.

Published 2008 | Buy the book | $20.79

7. Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research | Jeff Sauro and James R. Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience | Jeff Sauro & James R. Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience is the ideal book for UX researchers looking to further their UX research know-how. It’s a practical guide for using statistics to solve quantitative problems in user research.

Both Sauro and Lewis are internationally recognized in the user research field. Sauro is a pioneer in quantifying the user experience, and is the founding principal of MeasuringU—a company providing statistics and usability consulting to Fortune 1000 companies. Lewis is a Senior Human Factors Engineer at IBM, where he primarily focuses on the design and evaluation of user interfaces.

In their book, Sauro and Lewis discuss ways to quantify user research, summarize data and calculate margins of error, select appropriate sample sizes, and more. Each chapter includes a final summary of key points and references, as well as a set of problems and answers to test your knowledge.

Published 2012 | Buy the book | $56.32

8. Interviewing Users: Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal

Interviewing Users | Steve Portugal

Interviewing Users is a staple read for any marketers, product people, or UX researchers looking to improve their user interviewing skills. The book provides invaluable interviewing techniques and tools that enable readers to conduct informative interviews with anyone.

Portigal has over 20 years of experience building user experience practices and interviewing a wide variety of people. In 2001, he founded Portigal Consulting, where he helps organizations bring insights about their users into their design and development processes.

Interviewing Users aims to turn your interviews from simply gathering information, into uncovering powerful insights about people. It includes tips on embracing how others see the world and building rapport during interviews, as well as templates, samples, and presentations.

Published 2013 | Buy the book | $36.48

9. Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior | Indi Young

Mental Models | Indi Young

Indi Young’s Mental Models is a UX design book that highlights how understanding people’s reasons for doing things can help you build better experiences. The book is informed by Indi’s 30 years of experience in the design field, during which she co-founded the pioneering UX agency Adaptive Minds in 2001.

Mental Models shares Indi’s 29+ years of research experience, and how great research limits the risk further along in the design process. The book starts with a brief guide on how to use the book, before outlining three main sections: What, Why, When, and Who?, The Method, and Applications.

In these sections, Young delves into the importance of understanding your research reasons and audience, and how to go about conducting comprehensive user research.

It’s a roll-up-your-sleeves book for designers, managers, and anyone else interested in making strategic and successful designs. It helps UX designers and researchers better understand the importance of human psychology in design, and enables you to deepen your understanding of what makes designs outstanding.

Published 2008 | Buy the book | $43.89

10. Usable Usability: Simple Steps for Making Stuff Better | Eric Reiss

Usable Usability | Eric Reiss

UX guru Eric Reiss shares his decades of experience making products usable for everyone. Reiss’ experience as an information architecture specialist led him to his current role as CEO and Chairman of The FatDUX Group—DUX being an abbreviation for Designers of User Experience.

Usable Usability equips designers with guidelines and checklists for evaluating and improving products, highlights essential aspects for building the user experience, and addresses considerations for product clarity.

The book separates usability into 10 chapters that cover key considerations for UX design:

• Understandable
• Predictable

The 11th chapter then focuses on next steps, such as guerilla-style usability and formalized think-aloud tests. While not explicitly a UX research book, it’s a great reminder to UX designers of the basic design principles to keep in mind—and how to apply those in everyday UX design.

Published 2012 | Buy the book | $26.63

11. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan M. Weinschenk

Last up is Susan Weinschenk’s 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People.

Designers create with actions in mind—actions they want users to take upon interacting with the design. This book arms UX researchers and designers with insights and knowledge that enable them to build intuitive designs that consider human behavior and encourage users to take action.

Since 1985, Susan Weinschenk has been using her Ph.D. in psychology to contribute to the field of design and user experience. Weinshenk has published a total of five books relating to design, and currently works as Chief Behavioral Scientist and CEO at The Team W, Inc.

The book covers key considerations for designers and researchers alike, such as what keeps someone’s attention, what makes memories stick, how to predict the type of errors humans will make, and much more.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know connects human nature to UX to enable researchers to understand users with little guesswork. It’s about what makes people tick, and why it should matter to you.

Published 2011 | Buy the book | $25.98

12. Bonus Mention: The Ultimate Guide to UX Research | Maze

• The Ultimate Guide to UX Research | Maze

Our bonus mention—and a go-to resource for UX designers and developers—is The Ultimate Guide to UX Research . Of course we’re biased, but it’s a must-read for all teams looking to conduct user research—whether that’s product or marketing.

The guide is a great resource for those looking to better understand anything and everything about UX research. It simplifies the process for non-UX researchers and enables anyone to learn what it takes to conduct effective UX research.

The guide includes:

• How to create a research plan
• Generative research: Definition, methods, and examples
• Evaluative research: Definition, methods, and types
• Qualitative and quantitative research
• UX Research methods
• UX Research tools

It’s the perfect resource for turning a research idea into a research reality—regardless of your and your team’s experience.

Read The Ultimate Guide to UX Research online

4 More books to help you on your UX journey

If you consider the above 11 books your mandatory reading, consider this list your optional—but highly recommended—reading list. They’re not solely about UX design and research, but they’re packed full of strategies to help you sharpen your UX design tools.

1. The Lean Product Playbook | Dan Olsen

The Lean Product Playbook | Dan Olsen

The Lean Product Playbook is a how-to guide for creating products that people love. Dan Olsen writes from his experience working with a variety of organizations, from small, early-stage startups to large public companies.

Many product managers, CEOs, and founders cite The Lean Product Playbook as a key resource when starting their journeys to building useful and successful products. It’s a practical, step-by-step process for implementing lean techniques from the get-go.

The book is split into three parts:

• Core concepts
• The lean product process

It’s a can’t-miss book for designing products that people love.

Published 2015 | Buy the book | $35

2. Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kahneman

Thinking, Fast and Slow | Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow is a staple for anyone looking to better their understanding of how humans work, and how the human brain is susceptible to making the same mistakes over and over.

Kahneman explains the two systems in our brain that impact decision-making: system one is fast and automatic, whereas system two is conscious, aware, and considerate. Kahneman details how each system makes decisions, and how they often lead us to incorrect answers.

It’s an insightful read for understanding people, including yourself. It enables you to get a better understanding of the human psyche, and how you can take advantage of fast thinking in your product design.

Published 2011 | Buy the book | $12

3. A Beginner’s Guide to Usability Testing | Maze

A Beginner's Guide to Usability Testing | Maze

The ultimate guidebook to usability testing, this ebook runs readers through the usability testing process, as well as the different types of usability testing available for UX research and the best tools to use.

Exploring methods like remote testing and guerilla usability testing, the guide also includes details on analyzing and presenting usability metrics, plus an inside look at some real-life usability testing examples.

Read A Beginner’s Guide to Usability Testing online

4. Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience | Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle

Writing is Designing | Michael J. Metts & Andy Welfle

Writing is Designing covers the importance and usefulness of words in UX design. Authors Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle use their combined experience as product designers to share their insights on how words can create useful, usable experiences.

Some of the most notable chapters include:

• Creating clarity: know what you’re designing
• Inclusivity and accessibility: writing that works for everyone
• Tone: meeting people where they are

Overall, it’s an eye-opening read for UX designers unfamiliar with the impact of the words around designs, and a great opportunity to expand your UX knowledge of ways that words can improve your designs.

Published 2020 | Buy the book | $44.06

Hungry for more? Take a look at our top 17 greatest graphic design books to take your visuals to the next level.

Improving UX research is a process

When it comes to UX research, one thing’s for sure—you’re not alone. Thousands of businesses—both large and small—are searching for the best way to conduct user research and improve the user experience.

Reading up on UX research developments and best practices is a great place to start, and these 11 books make it easy. Take your pick, find a relaxing reading spot, and get stuck in to a new perspective on UX research and design.

If you’re looking for additional resources, check out our library of UX, research and design guides and collections, as well as our UX research templates. You can also head over to The Optimal Path podcast, where we chat to different product people each episode and delve into the stories, ideas, and approaches that drive product decision-making.

Frequently asked questions about UX research books

What should I study for UX research?

There’s no set reading list for conducting useful UX research, but some books we’d recommend include:

• Bottlenecks: Aligning UX with User Psychology | David C. Evans

The exact books you should be reading depend on your expertise—are you a beginner, an expert, or somewhere in between? Consider your existing knowledge and aim for a book you find challenging and engaging.

How do I practice UX research?

There are a variety of methods that you can use throughout your research process. You’ve likely heard the saying: practice makes perfect—and that applies to UX.

Continuous self-improvement and learning are key to becoming a UX research expert. Staying on top of industry trends and developments, reading the latest UX literature, and following the top UX industry experts will help you develop your skills and UX network.

Is UX research difficult?

There are parts of UX research that are tough—but those parts depend on your skills and experience. UX research is a lot easier when you’ve got the required UX research methods and resources for making it happen.

• Reviews / Why join our community?
• For companies
• Frequently asked questions

The Top UX Design Books You Need to Read in 2024: Beginner to Expert

In the digital landscape, user experience (UX) design holds a pivotal role. Every pixel, every interaction, and every piece of visual communication online is an element of UX design. 

UX design shapes the user experience and determines the success of businesses in this connected era.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an aspiring designer, it is essential to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.  UX design is constantly evolving  and demands constant learning. One of the most efficient ways to acquire this knowledge is through reading. Books written by experts in the field can: 

Provide a solid foundation.

Equip you with fresh ideas.

Challenge you to think in new ways.

We've curated a list of the most influential UI/UX design books to read in 2024. We structured our UX design book recommendations to accommodate different levels of expertise. We’ll start with beginners and gradually escalate to advanced UX design books. We've also made sure to encompass different areas of UX, from design and research to strategy.

So, let’s get started!

The Best UX Design Books for Beginners

Starting your UX design journey may seem intimidating, but these carefully selected beginner UX books will guide you from novice to skilled beginner in no time.

UX for Beginners: A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons by Joel Marsh

© Joel Marsh, Fair Use

"UX for Beginners" is a comprehensive yet entertaining guide for anyone interested in user experience (UX) design. This book covers the fundamentals of UX across 100 self-contained, engaging lessons. 

It strays from dry, technical material and, instead, adopts Marsh's unique snarky humor to teach UX in a simple and practical manner. So, we highly recommend this book. It's an excellent resource for non-designers aspiring to become designers, managers teaching UX, and professionals from other fields seeking to understand UX design better.

Key Takeaway 

A key takeaway from this book is recognizing the diversity in user behavior and the importance of designing for these variations, akin to addressing differing behaviors in real life. Marsh’s practical, humor-infused approach makes this a quick and enjoyable read, perfect to consume in one sitting.

“Everything has a user experience. Your job is not to create the user experience. Your job is to make it good.” ― Joel Marsh

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

© Don Norman , Fair Use

Don Norman’s seminal work will fundamentally change your perspective on the world around you. Through examining everything from doors to software, Norman reveals the power of good design and the frustration of poor design.

While the term “UX design” may have been recently coined, the underlying principles date back thousands of years.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 4.0

Don Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things" underscores the importance of user-centered design – a concept he helped popularize. He emphasizes that design should primarily focus on user needs rather than secondary factors like aesthetics . He illustrates the outcomes of adhering to or straying from this user-focused approach through detailed examples.

“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.” — Don Norman

In this video, Don Norman explains why design is “hot”!

• Transcript loading…

User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design are Changing the Way We Live, Work and Play by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant

© Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant, Fair Use

"User Friendly" by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant explores how design principles subtly shape our daily lives and the world around us. The authors weave a historical narrative and chart the evolution of user-experience design from a niche concept to a universal reality in our digital age. They reveal the hidden impact of design on societal shifts, from major historical events to the dawn of the digital era.

Key Takeaway

This book sheds light on the often unnoticed role of user-experience design in our interactions with technology. Kuang and Fabricant underline the importance of design in making technology intuitive and user-friendly and its influence on molding our behaviors, habits, and, ultimately, our lifestyle. They stress that as we become more reliant on technology, understanding these hidden design rules is not just fascinating, but crucial.

“You have to know why people behave as they do—and design around their foibles and limitations, rather than some ideal.” ― Cliff Kuang,

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

© Steve Krug, Fair Use

Steve Krug presents a common-sense approach to mobile and web usability with his engaging writing style. He focuses on functional aspects of design rather than form, offering concrete examples to improve usability and enhance the user experience.

Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" underscores the power of simplicity and consistency in web design . He advocates for intuitive, skim-friendly interfaces and emphasizes the importance of user testing . Krug suggests that, while creativity is important, it shouldn't compromise the expected consistency unless it enhances the user experience.

“Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about technology.” — Steve Krug

Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

Regarded as the companion to "Don't Make Me Think," Krug's book provides a practical guide to usability testing . He emphasizes the importance of early and frequent testing, making problem identification and resolution a seamless part of your design process.

This book guides readers through the practical aspects of user testing. It highlights the importance of choosing the right participants, crafting effective tasks, and maintaining neutrality during the process. It also uncovers compelling insights from users. Krug offers a comprehensive roadmap to conduct effective user research .

“ You’re not interested in what it takes to uncover most of the problems; you only care about what it takes to uncover as many problems as you can fix .” ― Steve Krug, Rocket Surgery Made Easy

HCI expert Prof. Alan Dix talks about the three guidelines of usability:

Top UX Books for Professionals 

UX design demands a profound understanding of design principles and an analytical mindset. Here are the best UX books that will offer experienced professionals fresh perspectives, deeper insights, and the tools to drive impactful change.

Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience by Jeff Gothelf with Josh Seiden

© Jeff Gothelf with Josh Seiden, Fair Use

"Lean UX"  covers principles, tactics and techniques to incorporate design into Agile teams. It underscores the importance of collaborative projects focusing on solving user problems instead of merely adding new features. Gothelf's work encourages you to reflect on your role within the organization and the overall UX strategy.

This book dives into lean and agile principles in UX design. It promotes teamwork in product development, urging frequent feedback and short design cycles. "Lean UX" focuses on crafting an excellent user experience and shifting the focus from merely producing deliverables. Thus, it fosters a beneficial shift in the design process.

“Our goal is not to create a delivery, it's to change something in the world – to create an outcome.” — Jeff Gothelf with Josh Seiden

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

© Barry Schwartz, Fair Use

Through "The Paradox of Choice," Schwartz contends that while the abundance of choice may appear beneficial, it often leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. This book challenges the conventional wisdom that more is better. It argues for limiting choices to increase user satisfaction. If you understand how people think, you can make your designs better by focusing on what users need, not just what they want.

This book conveys that an abundance of options can lead to decision paralysis and lower user satisfaction. It suggests that "good enough" often trumps the "absolute best." "The Paradox of Choice" urges you to create experiences that satisfy users' needs rather than overwhelm them with excessive choices. This can enhance decision-making ease and user contentment.

“People choose not on the basis of what’s most important, but on what’s easiest to evaluate.” — Barry Schwartz

Build Better Products: A Modern Approach to Building Successful User-Centered Products by Laura Klein 

© Laura Klein, Fair Use

"Build Better Products" offers a comprehensive guide for all aspects of product development . It is valuable for product managers and anyone involved in creating a new product. Klein's step-by-step approach considers every potential scenario in the product development journey and even includes advice on team building. Her approach ensures that readers understand user experience design and product engineering in-depth.

The book provides a holistic framework for product management that is both practical and extensive. It encourages readers to step out of their comfort zone as it provides insights into various aspects of product development that they might not have explored before. Klein's advice on team building is particularly valuable as it recognizes the vital role of a well-coordinated team in the successful development and launch of a product.

“Trying new things constantly and then abandoning them without further study or work is not iterating. That’s flailing.” ― Laura Klein

Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley

© Tom Kelly and David Kelly, Fair Use

"Creative Confidence" debunks the "creativity myth"—that people are born creative. It empowers readers to tap into their inherent potential to create change. The authors share inspiring stories from their work at IDEO and teach you how to leverage everyday annoyances as design opportunities.

The book emphasizes the value of practice, empathy , curiosity, an abundance of ideas, and resilience in fostering creativity. It encourages the reader to view the world with fresh eyes and adopt an "abundance mentality." You must treat creativity as a flexible muscle that benefits from regular exercise and teamwork.

“That combination of thought and action defines creative confidence: the ability to come up with new ideas and the courage to try them out.” ― Tom Kelley

100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D

© Susan M. Weinschenk, Fair Use

Serving as a comprehensive reference guide, "100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People" delves into the basics of how people see, think, read, and what motivates them. It provides valuable insights and tactics from cognitive, social, and perceptual psychology research for creating successful UX designs.

The book teaches that effective design stems from understanding human behavior and motivations. It applies psychology and neuroscience research to user-centric design. Thus, it offers practical advice on creating intuitive, accessible digital and physical products for varied audiences. You’ll also find techniques to create compelling user experiences and get higher conversion rates.

“To design a product or Web site that persuades people to take a certain action, you need to know the unconscious motivations of your target audience.” ― Susan M. Weinschenk

Essential UI Design Books

UI design is an integral part of product development. It requires both artistic creativity and technical understanding. Here are some prominent books that will serve as useful resources for your UI design journey:

UI is Communication by Everett N. McKay

© Everett McKay, Fair Use

"UI is Communication" is a practical guide that focuses on UI design as an objective communication tool rather than aesthetics. The book draws a parallel between user interfaces and conversations, providing useful methods for real-world design challenges.

This book stands out for its rich, varied examples, easily digestible layout with bolded keywords, and inclusion of humor through comics. It goes beyond UI, discussing user-centered design and UX techniques. Suitable for diverse roles, it remains current, even exploring mobile conventions.

“If your product solves real problems, has a simple, intuitive interaction and an appealing, easy-to-read visual design , yet people aren’t using it, chances are your product is failing to communicate at a human level.” ― Everett N. McKay

Designing with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson

© Jeff Johnson, Fair Use

"Designing with the Mind in Mind" explores perceptual and cognitive psychology and how it can inform effective UI design. It provides insights into human decision-making, hand-eye coordination, color perception, and memory, offering a strong foundation for user-centric design.

The book imparts essential perceptual and cognitive psychology insights to UI designers. It enables them to understand and intuitively apply design rules rather than blindly follow them. The book helps designers make informed decisions, even in challenging situations like trade-offs, time limits, or resource constraints.

“Engineering does not replace art in a design, it makes it possible.” ― Jeff Johnson

Evil by Design by Chris Nodder

© Chris Nodder, Fair Use

Nodder's work unravels the psychological aspects used in persuasive design techniques. The book dissects real website examples and displays how companies (and designers)  leverage UI design patterns and human psychology to trick people for commercial advantages.

The book uncovers the dark side of design. It reveals how some designers exploit users' vulnerabilities to enhance conversion rates. "Evil by Design" will help you  become aware of, and resist manipulative strategies. 

“It’s ok to deceive people if it’s in their best interests or if they’ve given implicit consent to be deceived as part of a persuasive strategy.”  — Chris Nodder

Simple and Usable Web, Mobile, and Interaction Design by Giles Colborne

© Giles Colborne, Fair Use

As the title suggests, "Simple and Usable Web, Mobile, and Interaction Design" is a practical guide to achieving simplicity in UI design. It focuses on removing, organizing, concealing, and displacing features and UI elements to enhance the user experience.

Simplicity and usability are crucial to a product's success. Giles Colborne presents four strategies (remove, hide, organize and displace) to achieve this simplicity. The book emphasizes that products that are the simplest to use often win customers.

“The better and longer way is to describe the experience I want the users to have. That means describing the users’ world and how my design fits in.” ― Giles Colborne

Designing Interfaces by Jenifer Tidwell, Charles Brewer and Aynne Valencia

© Jenifer Tidwell, Charles Brewer and Aynne Valencia, Fair Use

"Designing Interfaces" is essentially a comprehensive catalog of various UI patterns . It documents the best practices for each pattern's usage. It's a practical resource, particularly beneficial for those beginning their UI design journey.

This book  compiles common interaction design patterns used across web and desktop environments. The book adeptly navigates between generic and specific advice. It serves as a valuable reference for designers keen on creating effective user-facing software. “Good design can’t be reduced to a recipe.” – Jenifer Tidwell

Here’s UX designer and co-founder of HYPE 4, Michal Malewicz with more on the importance of UI design.

UX Research and Strategy Books

UX research plays a crucial role in understanding users' needs, behaviors, and motivations. For experienced professionals seeking to delve deeper, here are five noteworthy books on UX research:

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide by Leah Buley

© Leah Buley, Fair Use

"The User Experience Team of One" is perfect for those seeking effective UX research with fewer UX design resources. Buley drew from her experiences at notable firms such as Publicis Sapient and InVision to write this book. She provides practical tips and techniques to guide readers through the entire design process and help quantify the user experience. 

Buley offers a valuable breakdown of different design phases. These design phases include planning, researching, designing, testing, and evangelism. The emphasis on outputs, inviting review, and fostering collaboration is particularly insightful. This book provides clear direction and suggests a focus point at the end of each chapter: If you can only do one of these, do X.

“Design is the act of creating new solutions under constrained circumstances, whether those constraints are aesthetic, technological, or resource-driven. That may sound like a restriction, but actually it’s a gift. Constraints, in the end, are a designer’s friend.” — Leah Buley

Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

© Erika Hall, Fair Use

Co-founder of Mule Design Studios , Erika Hall, shares her wealth of knowledge in "Just Enough Research." It aims to improve questioning and critical thinking in research. Hall covers a wide range of topics and offers useful methods for better and faster research.

This book is an exhaustive yet approachable introduction to the multifaceted world of design research. This practical guide, peppered with humor and valuable tips, covers a wide range of topics beyond traditional user interviews and usability testing . Despite being short and concise, it prompts thoughtful reflections and questions about design research methodologies.

“You can optimize everything and still fail, because you have to optimize for the right things. That's where reflection and qualitative approaches come in. By asking why, we can see the opportunity for something better beyond the bounds of the current best. Even math has its limits.” ― Erika Hall

Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy by David Travis and Philip Hodgson

© David Travis and Philip Hodgson, Fair Use

With a combined 50 years of UX research experience, Travis and Hodgson provide invaluable insights into UX research planning, data analysis, and team persuasion. The book includes thought-provoking exercises and stories from experienced researchers.

This book offers a solid overview of UX principles. It reinforces best practices and introduces new tools you can apply to future projects. Its unique feature is the summary of each topic with brief questions and exercises, such as the SCAMPER example. These exercises prompt critical thinking and remind readers that UX approaches should be adaptable and tailored to individual projects. It's an informative read that encourages questioning and flexibility in UX design.

“Companies say they value great design. But they assume that to do great design they need a rock star designer. But great design doesn’t live inside designers. It lives inside your users’ heads. You get inside your users heads by doing good UX research: research that provides actionable and testable insights into users’ needs.” ― David Travis

In this video, CEO of Experience Dynamics, Frank Spillers urges designers to “get out of the building” before designing anything.

Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology by David C. Evans

© David C. Evans, Fair Use

In this book, Evans links cognitive psychology with UX design principles. He explores the psychological processes that influence design success and shares hypotheses for research to meet user needs more effectively.

The key takeaway from this book is that understanding human psychological constraints is crucial for effective UX design. This book explains how to align digital designs with inherent bottlenecks in human nature. It provides case studies and strategies for marketing and product development in the social media age. Also, it highlights the vital role of behaviorism, development, personality, and social psychology in UX design.

“Bottlenecks brings together two very important aspects of user experience design: understanding users and translating this into business impact. A must-read for anyone who wants to learn both.”  – Josh Lamar, Sr. UX Lead, Microsoft Outlook

User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research by Stephanie Marsh

© Stephanie Marsh, Fair Use

Marsh, a seasoned UX researcher, offers insights into implementing UX research effectively within an organization. The book provides practical advice on the most up-to-date  user research methods and data interpretation techniques.

This book provides a detailed, hands-on approach to user research. Marsh discusses the optimal timing for research implementation and showcases how a deep understanding of users can improve product and service design .

“ This book offers a comprehensive overview of how to be a great user researcher and explains exactly how to plan, run and debrief impactful user research. This new edition is right up to date with modern research needs for ethical data handling, and operationalising research. An essential handbook for new and experienced researchers to keep by their side!” — Steve Bromley, Principal User Researcher at Reach PLC

UX Design Ebooks and Online Resources

We understand that your time is precious, and flipping through lengthy books may not always be feasible. So, we've got you covered! Here are five ebooks and online resources that provide excellent UX advice and insights:

The Basics of User Experience Design

The Interaction Design Foundation's comprehensive guide covers the fundamental aspects of UX design. Over nine chapters, readers can learn about conducting user interviews, design thinking , interaction design, mobile UX design , usability, UX research, and more. Get this free ebook here . 

This e-book will help you understand the user-centered design process. It’ll provide practical knowledge of various UX methods and techniques, and insights into modern UX design trends.

Bright Ideas for User Experience Designers

© Userfocus, Fair Use

Userfocus’s e-book offers a friendly and memorable approach to UX design concepts. From improving usability to mastering prototypes, the eBook illuminates key aspects of UX design with real-world examples. It also shares essential tips for writing support material, error communication, and even creating a compelling UX vision. 

This e-book delivers valuable insights into various aspects of user experience design. It helps you learn practical strategies for improving usability, efficient prototyping to create a user experience vision, and enhanced communication of errors. It also provides useful tips for writing user manuals and understanding the significance of "alt" text.

UX Design Trends Bundle

© UXPin, Fair Use

Compiled by UXPin, this bundle contains three e-books covering web and mobile UI design trends. This resource provides a comprehensive analysis of over 300 designs and is a great way to stay updated with the latest trends. You can download the ebooks from the UXPin website.

This e-book talks about key aspects of UX design. It provides insights into current design trends and showcases examples of superior designs. Furthermore, it encourages readers to contemplate the future trajectory of UX design. Its lessons prepare you to innovate, adapt, and create exceptional user experiences.

UX Storytellers: Connecting the Dots

© UX Storytellers, Fair Use

This e-book , published in 2009, offers timeless insights into the world of UX design. It contains anecdotes and advice from 42 UX professionals and provides a holistic view of the field. 

This e-book talks about common UX hurdles and shares practical ways to navigate them. It also highlights the crucial role of storytelling in design. It sheds light on the power of storytelling to create engaging and captivating user experiences.

GET INTO UX: A Foolproof Guide to Getting Your First User Experience Job

© Vy Alechnavicius, Fair Use

"Get Into UX" by Vytautas Alechnavicius is an illuminating guide aimed at equipping both aspiring and experienced designers with the necessary tools to secure their first UX job. Given the booming UX field and the influx of new talent, the book addresses the challenges that young designers face when trying to find jobs and offers a foolproof roadmap to breaking into the UX field. It comprehensively tackles various facets of UX, from understanding the fundamentals to building a strong portfolio, and provides actionable strategies to set up a successful UX career.

This e-book emphasizes the importance of truly understanding UX beyond the surface level. It sets up your UX career with a long-term perspective and practical tools to ace portfolios, resumes, and interviews. The book also underscores the significance of continuous learning and practice in navigating the evolving UX landscape. 

Learn from Great Design

© Tom Kenny, Fair use

This e-book by web designer Tom Kenny provides an in-depth analysis of high-quality web designs. Although only a portion of it is available for free, the e-book provides valuable insights into what makes a design effective. 

The book primarily teaches the essentials of top-notch web design. It offers practical examples for better understanding and prompts self-evaluation to identify areas for improvement in your own work.

These e-books and UX resources are a wealth of knowledge for both new and experienced UX designers , offering a range of insights into the ever-evolving field of user experience design.

Honorable Mentions: More Noteworthy UX Design Books

Universal principles of design by william lidwell, kritina holden and jill butler.

© William Lidwell, Kritina Holden and Jill Butler, Fair Use

"Universal Principles of Design" by William Lidwell is a comprehensive UX design textbook. With Lidwell's extensive research background, the book underlines the science of design, providing well-curated data to aid the understanding of design principles. It covers every facet of the design spectrum, from usability to human behavior.

Key takeaways from the book are its solid grounding in UX design principles, which can be revisited anytime for insight. Furthermore, the book explores all design aspects to broaden a designer's perspective in their field and across various design disciplines. This broad-based approach makes it a rich source of inspiration for designers, regardless of their expertise.

A Project Guide to UX Design: For user experience designers in the field or in the making by Russ Unger & Carolyn Chandler

© Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler, Fair Use

"A Project Guide to UX Design" by Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler is an invaluable handbook for UX designers handling the complexity of design projects. It covers various skills, from understanding stakeholders ' roles to conducting user research to SEO and persona creation.

This book imparts wisdom without prescribing a specific framework. It's a guide that gives you a firm grasp of what you need to know and what you should be cautious about in UX design. It's gained considerable popularity for being a reliable companion in challenging times for UX designers.

Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience by Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle

© Michael J. Metts and Andy Welfle, Fair use

"Writing Is Designing" advocates for UX writers' critical yet often overlooked role in a product's development. Initially, the book emphasizes the importance of acknowledging UX writers in the design team. It then addresses practical challenges such as strategizing in a project setting and implementing best practices for UX writing.

This book serves as an essential guide for those already versed in UX design and looking to integrate UX writing effectively into their workflows. It not only underlines the significance of UX writing but also provides practical insights to navigate the complexities of UX writing in the design process.

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

© Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel, Fair Use

"About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design" by Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel is an esteemed text in the realm of interaction design. Revered as a UX bible, the book extensively explores creating intuitive and user-friendly designs. Cooper, known as the "Father of Visual Basic," introduces his goal-directed design method in the book. It emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and behaviors to construct a design that genuinely serves those needs.

This book provides a deeper understanding of the three Ps (principles, patterns, and processes) and the invaluable addition of the fourth P – practice. Cooper's insights into team dynamics and the unique roles of "generators" and "synthesizers" in design teams offer readers valuable guidance on creating and managing successful UX design teams. Also, the book presents Cooper's strategy for hiring designers to provide a comprehensive view of interaction design from conception to execution.

The Take Away

Staying on top of the latest UX and UI design tools is key to thriving in the fast-paced digital world. From grasping the fundamentals of stellar web design to identifying room for improvement in your own work, the insights shared in this piece can significantly enhance your skills.

This piece serves as an evergreen resource designed to support your continuous growth in UX and UI design. As trends evolve and the best books to learn UI UX design change, we'll be updating the content to ensure it remains relevant and valuable for your learning journey.

For those just beginning their journey or seasoned professionals looking to refine their skills, our range of courses caters to all levels. Embark on your learning adventure with our beginner UX courses today.

And if you're ready to excel in your current role or preparing for the next, consider enrolling in our intermediate courses . It's time to upskill, stay competitive, and propel your career to new heights! Start today and shape the digital experiences of tomorrow.

Design for Thought and Emotion

Get Weekly Design Tips

Topics in this article, what you should read next, apple’s product development process – inside the world’s greatest design organization.

• 1.4k shares

What is Interaction Design?

How to Change Your Career from Graphic Design to UX Design

Shneiderman’s Eight Golden Rules Will Help You Design Better Interfaces

• 1.3k shares

The Principles of Service Design Thinking - Building Better Services

A Simple Introduction to Lean UX

• 3 years ago

Dieter Rams: 10 Timeless Commandments for Good Design

• 4 years ago

The 7 Factors that Influence User Experience

• 1.2k shares

Adaptive vs. Responsive Design

The Grid System: Building a Solid Design Layout

Open Access—Link to us!

We believe in Open Access and the  democratization of knowledge . Unfortunately, world-class educational materials such as this page are normally hidden behind paywalls or in expensive textbooks.

If you want this to change , cite this article , link to us, or join us to help us democratize design knowledge !

Privacy Settings

Our digital services use necessary tracking technologies, including third-party cookies, for security, functionality, and to uphold user rights. Optional cookies offer enhanced features, and analytics.

Experience the full potential of our site that remembers your preferences and supports secure sign-in.

Governs the storage of data necessary for maintaining website security, user authentication, and fraud prevention mechanisms.

Enhanced Functionality

Saves your settings and preferences, like your location, for a more personalized experience.

Referral Program

We use cookies to enable our referral program, giving you and your friends discounts.

Error Reporting

We share user ID with Bugsnag and NewRelic to help us track errors and fix issues.

Optimize your experience by allowing us to monitor site usage. You’ll enjoy a smoother, more personalized journey without compromising your privacy.

Analytics Storage

Collects anonymous data on how you navigate and interact, helping us make informed improvements.

Differentiates real visitors from automated bots, ensuring accurate usage data and improving your website experience.

Lets us tailor your digital ads to match your interests, making them more relevant and useful to you.

Advertising Storage

Stores information for better-targeted advertising, enhancing your online ad experience.

Personalization Storage

Permits storing data to personalize content and ads across Google services based on user behavior, enhancing overall user experience.

Advertising Personalization

Allows for content and ad personalization across Google services based on user behavior. This consent enhances user experiences.

Enables personalizing ads based on user data and interactions, allowing for more relevant advertising experiences across Google services.

Receive more relevant advertisements by sharing your interests and behavior with our trusted advertising partners.

Enables better ad targeting and measurement on Meta platforms, making ads you see more relevant.

Allows for improved ad effectiveness and measurement through Meta’s Conversions API, ensuring privacy-compliant data sharing.

LinkedIn Insights

Tracks conversions, retargeting, and web analytics for LinkedIn ad campaigns, enhancing ad relevance and performance.

LinkedIn CAPI

Enhances LinkedIn advertising through server-side event tracking, offering more accurate measurement and personalization.

Google Ads Tag

Tracks ad performance and user engagement, helping deliver ads that are most useful to you.

Share Knowledge, Get Respect!

or copy link

Cite according to academic standards

Simply copy and paste the text below into your bibliographic reference list, onto your blog, or anywhere else. You can also just hyperlink to this article.

New to UX Design? We’re giving you a free ebook!

Download our free ebook The Basics of User Experience Design to learn about core concepts of UX design.

In 9 chapters, we’ll cover: conducting user interviews, design thinking, interaction design, mobile UX design, usability, UX research, and many more!

New to UX Design? We’re Giving You a Free ebook!

• January 5, 2024

Top 26 books anyone in UX should read in 2024 (designers, writers, and researchers)

Want to expand your knowledge of UX writing, content design, and research? We’ve got a complete list of books for you right here.

Shortcuts: Jump Straight To

The rise of ux.

User experience design, research, and writing are all children of the digital revolution. Today there’s an app for everything, and there is massive, growing demand for people who can create great digital experiences .

UX researchers learn about people’s behavior and collect relevant data, UX writers and content designers use that data to create content for digital products and interfaces, and designers visualize the content and data in a user-friendly and intuitive way.

Why it’s worth reading about UX

Alongside the rise of UX, there has been a steady rise of books on the subject. In fact, there are so many that we’ll probably never get to the bottom of the pile.

I know; books can be overwhelming.  Is there anything more stressful than a growing number of books waiting to be read? The thing is, we all know that books are good for us. They give us in-depth knowledge in a way articles never will and keep our minds active. And if you’re an aspiring UX writer, reading more will do wonders for your writing skills.

If you find it hard to get going with books, you’ll find some reading tips at the end of this article. But first, check out the recommendations from me and other members of the UX Writing Hub crew!

UX writing books | Books for UX writers

Strategic writing for ux by torrey podmajersky.

Torrey Podmajersky used to work on the copy of Xbox and now works at Google. In her latest book (released in July 2019), she shares the strategic wisdom she’s picked up during the years. 

Content design by Sarah Winters (was Richards)

Clear, concise, and useful from start to finish, with tons of insights for UX writers. Plus, it gets top marks for presenting everything in a way that makes it easy to digest . Written by Sarah Winters, who led the team that created the content style guide for the UK government. 

I had a chat with her about her process of finding her way as a content designer in the Writers in Tech podcast .

Microcopy: The Complete Guide by Kinneret Yifrah

This book is called “the bible of microcopy ” for a reason. If you want to become a UX writer and plan to read just one single book, make it this one. As it includes lots of examples, it’s also great as a reference book when it comes to creating different microcopy scenarios.

The Business of UX Writing by Yael Ben-David

As UX writers, we learn to focus on user needs and pain points, and rightly so. But working only on user goals and forgetting about the business goals may affect business results. And without decent business results, the product could eventually go bust .

That’s why it’s better to aim for the sweet spot where user needs meet business goals . Yael Ben-David explains everything we need to know in her book The Business of UX Writing . Besides a complete framework, she gives us plenty of concrete examples of how UX writing is good for business. These examples will come in handy every time we need to show the value of UX writing and the effect it can have on ROI (return on investment).

Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

Every chapter of this book is a gem with insights from the traditional writing world. You’ll get lots of practical tips you can implement in any piece of content you create. My favorite takeaway is the section about working with great editors and how they can change your life. The same goes for great UX writers who edit the copy in your product interface!

Nicely Said by Nicole Fenton

Top writing tips with a strategic edge for all kinds of web editors . This is one of the first books I recall that talked about writing for the web and digital interfaces, a topic that had been overlooked for years. Beautiful illustrations throughout the book make it an easy read.

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker

Cognitive psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker takes a science-based approach to writing and sheds new light on many old, outdated concepts . A must-read for anyone writing in the English language.

Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch

While language is always changing, the internet has accelerated the process like never before. From SMS and emails to blogs and social media, online communication tools have affected how we use language on every level.

Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch explains how emojis, memes and different kinds of LOLS barged into our conversations, and why it’s a good thing.

If this sounds interesting, definitely check out the You Are Not So Smart podcast episode with Gretchen too.

Conversations with Things: UX Design for Chat and Voice by Diana Deibel and Rebecca Evanhoe

Chatbots and voice user interfaces have made tremendous progress in the last few years. And still, many of them offer a mediocre user experience at best. Why? One reason is that constructing a human conversation with a machine is easier said than done.

Diana Deibel and Rebecca Evanhoe share invaluable insights for everyone interested in conversation design , with practical tips on how to improve the UX of voice UIs .

UX design books | Books for UX designers

Universal principles of design by william lidwell, kritina holden and jill butler.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (Voices That Matter) by Susan Weinschenk

This classic from 2011 is still mega useful both for designers and for writers who want to develop their design thinking .

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

If you’re guilty of procrastination , you’re not alone. This book will help you get over it.

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug

Another classic that’s still relevant for *everyone* who works with the web in any shape or form.

Solving Product Design Exercises: Questions & Answers by Artiom Dashinsky

This little gem of a book helps you to get ready for your next design interview. It breaks down the process step by step and shows you exactly how to prepare for that dreaded interview exercise .

Next up on my UX design reading list is this one, released in November 2019:

User Friendly by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant

UX research books | Books for researchers

Just enough research by erika hall.

Erika Hall’s book is the cornerstone not just for UX researchers, but for anyone in a product team (including stakeholders). People need to care more about data- and research-driven design, and this guide tells you exactly how to do it. I also had a fantastic conversation with Erika about how to plan your design research on the Writers in tech podcast .

More UX research books on my reading list:

Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal

The User’s Journey: Storymapping Products That People Love by Donna Lichaw

Other UX-related books | Books for all content and product people

Mismatch by kat holmes.

Wish you were more aware of inclusive design? Mismatch is a great place to start. This book explains why we should stop thinking of accessibility as something to fix for the benefit of a minority. After all, disabilities affect everyone, sooner or later – whether it is for a short period or permanently.

Cross-cultural design by Senongo Akeem

Great read if you’re involved with multilingual or multicultural products . Get lots of insights on how to approach cultural differences and learn what questions you need to ask before launching language versions.

World Wide Waste  by Gerry McGovern

It’s easy to assume that digital communications and e-commerce are better for the environment than physical meetings and traditional trade.

As Gerry McGovern shows in his book World Wide Waste, we need to think again. Every time we publish something or interact online, servers around the world consume energy. Not to mention the fuel needed to store the messages in our full inboxes. This book is a great start for everyone who wants to become more aware of how our computers create pollution.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

I read this one when I was in high school (13 years ago!). Dan Ariely’s research on human behavior blew my mind, and it still does. Totally inspiring and way ahead of its time. If you know Dan, please tell him I would love to interview him for my Writers in Tech podcast 🙂 

Nudge by Richard H. Thaler

This gem explains how to encourage people to take action, whether you’re working on a new app or writing a note for the tip jar in a bar. It’s an inspiring book that will help you to understand what influences people to make a decision. 

Measure What Matters by John Doerr

As a data-driven person, I design, write, and create only things that I can measure. 

This book helped me understand my OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and the actions I need to take to reach them. You’ll find out how companies like Google and Intuit measure their success and optimize their results in an ever-changing world. 

Everyday Information Architecture by Lisa Maria Martin

As a UX professional, you will come across information architecture sooner if not later. Brace yourself by reading this excellent book on how to organize content for digital interfaces .

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown 

In a world where digital products fight for our attention, focus has become an important commodity . In this book, you’ll learn how to cut through the clutter and decide what you need to focus on versus what is not that essential. 

Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro

My top tip about ethical design, published in 2019. It’s a huge wake-up call for the design industry and how UX people can help design a world we all want to live in.

Check out my chat with Mike Monteiro on Writers in Tech , too!

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

The first hard copy of a UX book I ever had is a bestselling game-changer about how to create addictive products without pushy content and expensive advertising .

How does that fit in with ethical design? Listen to my talk with Nir Eyal on the Writers in Tech podcast , where we talk about ethics and much more.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR   by David Meerman Scott

It can also come in handy for UX writers who find themselves battling with the marketing department, as it gives plenty of arguments for a user-focused approach in marketing too.

Reading tips to get going with books

That’s it for now! Overwhelmed? Here are a few tips on how to get going:

• First of all, you may think that you don’t have time for books, but you do. Set aside a little bit of time to read: 30 minutes in the morning, for example. Or whenever works for you. Stick to it for a week and see how it goes!
• Tackle one book at a time. Pick one that catches your attention and forget about all the others for a while.
• Thanks to technology, there are numerous ways to read. It doesn’t have to be a regular hardcopy book – try a Kindle or other ebook reader, or listen to books on Audible. Go on, give it a go and see what you think 🙂
• There are also lots of helpful reading apps. For example, if you use Kindle Cloud Reader and Google Chrome, you can install the speed-reading extension Kreeder.

Final thoughts

Understanding and implementing insights from the books on this list doesn’t just make work more fun, it has also made me a better professional in my day-to-day work. Make time for reading, and nail your next UX project or task!

Have you read a book that should be on this list? Shoot an email to [email protected] and let me know about it.

Become a UX writer pro

• Sign up for our weekly newsletter
• Take our free UX writing course
• Take our free UX email course

This article was co-written with Anja Wedberg

Hosts the Writers in Tech podcast and works and the founder and CEO of the UX Writing Hub.

Content Design

Technical Writing

Conversation Design

UX Content Strategy

UX Writing Academy

UX Writing Flex Program

UX Writing Boot Camp

UX Writing Essentials

Free UX Writing Course

Certificate UX Writing Courses

Student login

UX Writing Events

Join the Events Mailing List

Writers in Tech podcast

UX Writing Jobs

Salary Survey

© 2024 All rights reserved to UX Writing Hub Terms & conditions​

Join our FREE UX writing course

In this FREE industry-leading course, you’ll learn about:

• UX writing processes 
• Best practices

• Blog Home Home
• Explore by categories Categories TOPICS Case Studies Information Architecture Product Development UI/UX Design User Research User Testing UX Career UX Tips Women in UX
• News and Updates News
• UX Glossary

Register Now to Beegin Your Journey!

Register Now For Free to Beegin Your Journey!

Best UX Research Books (According to Our Survey)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

To keep your knowledge up to date in 2024, check out these top 10 UX research books, authored by experts and colleagues. We think you might like them!

Recommended UX Research Books

Here are the books that resonated the most with our user research community. This compilation provides a blend of educational, engaging and thought-provoking content, perfect for user researchers looking to expand their knowledge and skills.

• Handbook of Usability Testing
• Interviewing Users
• Think Like a UX Researcher
• Just Enough Research
• User Research
• The User Experience Team of One
• Thinking, Fast and Slow  
• Quantifying the User Experience
• User Experience Revolution
• Usable Usability

🐝 Note: Each book in our list has been given a normalized score out of 10, simplifying the process of comparison and selection for you. This scoring system is based on our survey of the UX community. You can learn more about the survey and its methodology here .

Top rated and most widely known books

We’ve compiled a brief summary featuring the top five “most recommended books” from our survey. Plus, we’ve added a “best known books” section, showcasing titles that were widely recognized by user researchers in our survey.

Books by Expertise

In this section, we’ve categorized the book recommendations according to the years of experience our survey respondents have. Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the field for a while, we’ve selected three books for each experience category, recommended by people with similar expertise. These books are chosen to help you grow your skills and improve in your profession.

🐝 Tip: Interested in furthering your education in the UX field and already finished reading all the books? Consider attending conferences or workshops to expand your knowledge. Check out our article, “ Best UX Conferences in 2024 ,” and register for an event today.

Recommended Book Selection

#1 handbook of usability testing.

Source: Amazon

Score:   10/10

Authors : Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

Where can I buy this book? Amazon

How many people in the survey knew this book? 50%

What is this book about?

Whether it’s software, technical documentation, a cell phone, or a refrigerator, your customers expect ease of use. This thoroughly updated handbook provides clear, step-by-step guidelines for usability testing, incorporating industry best practices and real-life examples. Learn to recognize usability limitations, select the right testing environment, create effective test plans, and more. Discover user-centered design principles, and take advantage of valuable tools like templates and case studies.

#2 Interviewing Users

Source: Rosenfeld Media

Score: 9.89/10

Author : Steve Portigal

Where can I buy this book? Rosenfeld Media

How many people in the survey knew this book? 72%

Master user interviews with Steve Portigal’s updated classic, “Interviewing Users.” This book guides you through the process, from setting goals to effective techniques. Learn remote interviewing, handle biases, and ensure impactful research. Whether you’re a CEO, designer, marketer, or interviewer, this book is essential for understanding user needs and creating successful products.

Did you know? 👀

We recently had a chat with Steve Portigal on our UX Research Geeks podcast?

Plus, we’ve got a surprise for you:

In collaboration with Steve Portigal and Rosenfeld Media, we’re offering our listeners a 20% discount on Interviewing Users (2nd Edition) . Use the code UXRGEEKS at checkout to claim your discount, valid until December 29, 2023 . Don’t miss this opportunity to treat yourself this Christmas!

#3 Think Like a UX Researcher

Score: 9.64/10

Authors : David Travis & Philip Hodgson

How many people in the survey knew this book? 67%

“Think Like a UX Researcher” challenges conventional UX research thinking. It guides you in planning, conducting, and applying UX research effectively. This book offers practical advice, exercises, and real-world examples to enhance your UX skills. Whether you’re a UX Researcher, Designer, Project Manager, Scrum Master, Business Analyst, or Marketing Manager, it provides valuable insights to elevate your approach and career in UX research.

#4 Just Enough Research

Score: 8.90/10

Author : Erika Hall

Where can I buy this book?   Amazon

Design research isn’t a lengthy process — it’s about asking better questions and evaluating answers. In “Just Enough Research,” Erika Hall, co-founder of Mule Design, offers a concise guide to research methods. Learn to identify competitive advantages, recognize biases, and leverage findings. You’ll be conducting effective research quickly. Erika Hall, with a background in web design, co-founded Mule Design Studio in 2001, specializing in research, interaction design, and strategy. She’s a frequent speaker and writer on collaboration and user interface language, and she co-hosts the podcast “Running from the Law.”

#5 User Research

Score: 7.71/10

Author : Stephanie Marsh

How many people in the survey knew this book? 28%

Many businesses overlook the end user in their planning and development processes, but “User Research” aims to change that. This book explores user experience research (UX research), focusing on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through various techniques. Written by a leading UK UX research professional, it covers key research methods and provides compelling insights into data interpretation.

#6 The User Experience Team of One

Score: 6.43/10

Author : Leah Buley

How many people in the survey knew this book? 56%

In today’s fast-paced world of product and web development, projects are often short-staffed. When you’re the lone designer, success depends on knowing how to prioritize and make the most of your resources. “The User Experience Team of One” provides practical insights to help you excel and achieve more with less.

#7 Thinking, Fast and Slow

Score: 6.00/10

Author : Daniel Kahneman

How many people in the survey knew this book? 83%

In the mega bestseller “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explores the two systems that drive our thinking: System 1, which is fast and intuitive, and System 2, which is slower and more logical. Recognized by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, this book delves into topics like overconfidence, cognitive biases, and decision-making in both personal and business contexts. It’s a contemporary classic that has had a profound impact on readers worldwide.

#8 Quantifying the User Experience

Score:   5.84/10

Authors : Jeff Sauro and James R. Lewis

How many people in the survey knew this book? 61%

Quantifying the User Experience is a practical guide for using statistics in user research. It provides solutions for common quantitative challenges, including usability assessment and task success rates. The book covers statistical theory, Excel formulas, and web calculators for data analysis, making it a valuable resource for researchers.

#9 User Experience Revolution

Score: 3.21/10

Author : Paul Boag

How many people in the survey knew this book? 22%

Are you the advocate for user experience in your company? This eBook is for passionate individuals, regardless of their role, who want to champion user-centric approaches within their organization. It provides guidance on how to promote the benefits of user experience design, create customer experience advocates, gain managerial support, and transform the organizational culture.

#10 Usable Usability

Score: 1.84/10

Author: Eric Reiss

How many people in the survey knew this book? 39%

Uncover the guide to identifying and fixing usability issues. This book, authored by UX expert Eric Reiss, provides practical advice to improve user experiences. With examples and checklists, it helps you enhance product functionality, clarity, and overall quality.

🐝 Tip: Do you want to enter the world of UX, but don’t know where to start? Read our article The Best UX design resources in which you will find the answer to this and other important questions.

More worthwhile reads for UX researchers

Looking for more valuable reads as a UX researcher? Discover five recommended books by fellow UX researchers that offer valuable perspectives and knowledge in the field.

1. Customers Know You Suck

Author: Debbie Levitt

“Customers Know You Suck” is your guide to customer-centric product-market fit, offering actionable strategies to improve CX, boost satisfaction, and increase revenue. Suitable for CX, UX, and Design experts, Business Analysts, Managers, Lean and Agile practitioners, Marketing and Sales professionals, and Strategists at mid-level and above in their careers.

Check out our UXR Geeks podcast to learn more about Debie

In the fourth episode of ‘UX Research Geeks,’ we’re joined by Debbie Levitt , a highly experienced researcher, designer, UX strategist and mentor. Debbie shares her perspective on the current state of UX/CX and its relationship with business management. Join us for this discussion on the world of UX research and its impact on business.

2. A practical guide to usability testing

Authors: Joseph S. Dumas, Janice C. Redish

In this book, the authors define usability, explain usability engineering methods, and explore techniques for assessing usability during product development. They guide readers through the planning and execution of usability tests, data analysis, and using results for product improvement. The book is easy to understand and includes examples from various products and tests, covering a range of testing options. It also discusses usability laboratories and necessary skills for conducting tests. Forms for conducting usability tests and lab layouts are provided to assist readers.

3. It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience Research Projects

Author: Tomer Sharon

Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience Research Projects provides practical strategies for gaining stakeholder support in UX research. The book covers key stages, including understanding stakeholder roles, identifying research opportunities, planning research, and improving communication of results. It’s a valuable resource for UX professionals, offering insights and techniques for successful UX research projects.

4. Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

Author: Steve Krug

“Rocket Surgery Made Easy” offers a cost-effective approach to usability testing. Steve Krug, the author of “Don’t Make Me Think,” provides a streamlined method for testing web designs and applications. With practical advice, illustrations, and humor, he explains how to test any design, prioritize critical issues, and implement fixes efficiently. This book simplifies usability testing, making it accessible for teams to test early and address problems before they become complex. It also includes demonstration videos to enhance the learning experience.

5. Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research

Authors: Elizabeth Goodman Ph.D. and Mike Kuniavsky

“Observing the User Experience” bridges the gap between designers, developers, and users. This book provides practical insights and 13 user experience research techniques to help you understand your users’ needs and create better products, whether web, software, or mobile-based. It’s a valuable resource for designers, developers, and project managers, offering tools and confidence to perform user research effectively. The second edition covers new topics like observational research, mobile usability, and cross-cultural projects, making it relevant in today’s evolving landscape of user research.

Try UXtweak for free!

Test your assumptions quickly, access qualified audiences worldwide, and receive clear reports - all with competitive pricing.

About our “Best UX research books” survey

What was the process behind our survey? We started by selecting books from various articles that recommended reading for researchers. This formed a shortlist that our respondents could assess. They had options to mark each book as ‘Not familiar’, ‘Would recommend’, ‘Indifferent’, or ‘Would not recommend’. Once the survey concluded, we analyzed these responses to draw our conclusions.

How our rating methodology works?

• In our approach to rating the books, we started by calculating the percentages of respondents who had  either recommended it, expressed indifference to it, or not recommended it , disregarding the respondents who selected the “not familiar with” option.
• We then determined a net recommendation score for each book by subtracting the percentage of non-recommendations from the percentage of recommendations.
• This score effectively captures the overall sentiment toward each book , taking into account both positive and negative opinions.
• To make an easier comparison across the books, we normalized these net recommendation scores to a scale ranging from 0 to 10. The highest-ranked book was assigned a score of 10 , and the scores for the other books were adjusted proportionally.
• This normalization process helps us present a clear, quantifiable, and easy-to-understand rating for each book, reflecting its relative standing among the survey respondents.

We believe this method provides a balanced view of the respondents’ preferences.

Where do our survey respondents come from?

We’re thrilled to report that 327 individuals from more than 40 countries chose to participate in our survey! A detailed look shows 48.8% were from the North America, followed by 36% from Europe, then 9.3% from Asia, 3.5% from South America, 1.4% from Africa and 0.8% from Australia and Oceania. The participants were from countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, Argentina, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, among others. It’s fantastic to see such wide and diverse involvement! 😊

How much experience in UX field do our respondents have?

The background of UX researchers is informative, especially when considering their book recommendations. Knowing their level of experience helps us understand the expertise influencing their choices. Looking at the results of our study, we see that approximately half of the respondents have between 2 to 5 years of experience in UX.

🐝 Tip: Do you want to get in touch with people from the UX community but don’t know where to look? See our article Best 30 UX Communities and Groups to Join !

Jana Filusova, our Marketing Executive at UXtweak, brings a scientific approach, analytical skills, and a business background to her role. She is responsible for producing our UX research podcast called "UX Researcher Geeks" and content creation. Jana's academic background is in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and she spent three years as a researcher at the Czech Academy of Sciences. After completing her Master's studies, she shifted from the world of science to the field of Business Management and began working for UXtweak.

UXtweak is buzzing with expert UX research, making thousands of products more user friendly every day

How to: Democratizing UX Research

Democratization of research is a structured approach to transforming an organization’s culture. Let’s learn how effective democratizing UX research can be in an organization. Read more ...

Research Recruities: Award for the Best recruiting Stories + Survey Results

In this article you’ll find a shortlist of 5 of the best and most insightful stories we’ve collected, results of the Research Recruities survey, a list of 7 biggest UX recruiting mistakes with tips to overcome them! Read more ...

Introduction to Experience Mapping in UX Design

In this article, we talk about experience mapping as an effective UX mapping method. Learn what is experience map, why and when you might need it as well as how to create one yourself! Read more ...

• Card Sorting
• Tree Testing
• Preference Test
• Five Second Test
• Session Recording
• Freeform Interviews
• Study Interviews
• Mobile Testing
• First Click Test
• Prototype Testing
• Website Testing
• Onsite Recruiting
• Own Database
• Documentation
• Product features
• Comparisons

• Computers & Technology
• Computer Science

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the authors

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research 2nd Edition

• Explains how to balance usability with creativity and originality
• A valuable resource for designers, developers, project managers -- anyone whose work affects the end user experience
• Provides a real-world perspective on research. Helps you do user research cheaply and quickly, and present it persuasively
• Gives you the tools and confidence to perform user research on your own design, tuning user experience to the unique needs of your product and its users.
• ISBN-10 0123848695
• ISBN-13 978-0123848697
• Edition 2nd
• Publisher Morgan Kaufmann
• Publication date September 21, 2012
• Language English
• Dimensions 7.46 x 1 x 9.27 inches
• Print length 608 pages
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

"In this second edition, the authors update an important contribution to the emerging discipline of user experience (UX) research…This book is one of many noteworthy titles from Morgan Kaufmann in this subject area. It is chock full of practical examples and advice for both novice and experienced practitioners." --ComputingReviews.com, January 2013

"Anyone even remotely interested in involving participants and observing their reaction and interaction with the product in order to enhance the overall user acceptance should deeply benefit from this book. I very much liked the practical examples, tables, and diagrams which have given this book a more vibrant feel and allowed the reader to feel like he can use this textbook directly in the practice of establishing some user experience tests. I think the textbook is profoundly informational and was a joy to read." --Software Engineering News, March 2012

"You'll like Mike Kuniavsky's broad selection of practical user research methods--presented clearly and usably. And you'll like his timing too: while recent books focus on the whys of user experience, many are now ready for the hows. Observing the User Experience does just that: It demonstrates how to discover what is in users' heads, and suggests how we might balance those considerations with business objectives." --Lou Rosenfeld, co-author of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web

"Wow! So many of the user experience research methods we have refined and used over the years are now organized and described in detail in one book. It is an essential reference for any practitioner." --Christian Rohrer, Manager, User Experience Research, Yahoo!

"Observing the User Experience provides the reader with a wealth of information. We now have a guideline that can be used to gain insight into those mysterious figures...our users. Knowing who our users are, what they need, and how they might use the things we build for them is the most important part of any product development cycle. Mike Kuniavsky's focus in this book is on the user experience as it relates to online interfaces, but ANYONE who builds ANYTHING can gain valuable knowledge from reading this book." --David Hoffer, Senior User Interface Designer, CTB/McGraw-Hill

"I love Observing the User Experience! This comprehensive guide approaches user experience research like never before, and is well-written, easy-to-read, and quite user friendly. It provides a real-world example of how research is done in just enough detail that it can both inform a CEO of the role of usability research as well as introduce methodology to someone starting out in the field. Bravo!" --Kelly Braun, Usability Manager, Ebay

"Mike Kuniavsky offers many practical procedures to conduct and analyze the results of your own custom usability tests. He shares lots of personal stories from the trenches, many of which are painfully ironic. The hope is that his knowledge will help spare you the pain of making the same mistakes others have made before you." --from the foreword by Lynda Weinman, Author and Founder, lynda.com, Inc.

"Kuniavsky presents information logically, often anticipating potential questions by providing extensive explanations. His text is readable and easily understandable. He incorporates interesting quotes from various scholars, keeping readers' interest by breaking up the strict presentation of information. The overall layout and conversational tone make the text an enjoyable read and useful reference." --Kalle Medhurst - Technical Communications

"The best general how-to handbook on user research remains Mike Kuniavsky's Observing the User Experience. For the reader who wants to integrate contextual design into a fast-paced development cycle, but isn't sure how, this book will be a godsend. Even when their advice can't be followed to the letter, the book, like the authors method, can be adapted to your needs." --Networker Magazine

"Mike Kuniavsky's Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research is a welcome addition to the half dozen essential books on my cubicle shelf. This book provides lucid, personable, experienced advice that could only come from a seasoned consultant who has seen the good, bad, and ugly of web and application design. Its purpose is to give a solid foundation to any design team in the crucial beginning stages of a project by answer the questions: How do we go about learning who our users are an what they really need? And how do we do this in a way that helps us make a strong case for our design decisions to the people in charge?" --Andrew Hinton

From the Back Cover

• Explains how to create usable products that are still original and creative.
• Provides a real-world perspective on research, with tips on conducting user research inexpensively and quickly, and on persuasively presenting the results.
• Gives readers the tools and confidence to get started fast, while introducing more advanced questions and techniques.

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Morgan Kaufmann; 2nd edition (September 21, 2012)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0123848695
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0123848697
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.9 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.46 x 1 x 9.27 inches
• #169 in User Experience & Website Usability
• #235 in Human-Computer Interaction (Books)
• #263 in Computer Systems Analysis & Design (Books)

About the authors

Andrea moed.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Mike Kuniavsky

I am a consultant, writer, entrepreneur and designer exploring the intersections of high technology and everyday life. I have been a user experience design consultant since 1994 and have helped hundreds of companies and organizations design effective, pleasurable and profitable online, environmental and device user experiences. In 2006 I cofounded ThingM, a ubiquitous computing consulting company. Previously, I was a cofounder of Adaptive Path, a leading San Francisco internet consultancy, and the founder of Wired Digital's User Experience Lab. I live in San Francisco.

Elizabeth Goodman

Customer reviews.

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 63% 20% 5% 5% 7% 63%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 63% 20% 5% 5% 7% 20%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 63% 20% 5% 5% 7% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 63% 20% 5% 5% 7% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 63% 20% 5% 5% 7% 7%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Portfolio Tips
• Career Tips
• Portfolio Examples
• Get UXfolio!

The 15 Absolute Best UX/UI Design Books in 2024

In the era of monster-length blog posts, I believe there’s still space for books about UX design. Because investing in a valuable book is the kind of gesture that’ll keep you committed and motivated.

The emphasis here is on valuable. I think most of us can agree that many books in our realm are just manicured blog posts. No wonder we are discouraged from dropping money on them.

In this article, I’ll give you an honest review of 15 books from various product-related fields to help you choose the ones worth your time and money. I’ve sorted them into 4 categories to help you skim:

• General UX/UI books
• UX research and testing
• Design/product lead books
• Product design infotainment
• UX design reference books

1. General UX/UI books

Books about the psychology of user experience and product strategy. Whether you’re an aspiring designer, freelancer, or seasoned professional looking to accelerate your career, I have something for you in this category.

Refactoring UI

Authors: adam wathan, steve schoger.

• Highlights: the entire book. No BS, great examples, concise writing
• Recommendation: UX designers who want to be good at UI

“Refactoring UI” is a single-day read, but not because it’s superficial. Quite the opposite.

Wathan and Schoger pack as much information about UX and UI design into 252 pages as possible. They avoid endless buildups and repetition. There’s not even an intro boasting about the authors’ background and achievements. “Refactoring UI” is filled with practical, valuable, and actionable information from the first page.

The structure of the book is on point. The first section provides an overview of the key design principles and ideas. Then, the authors dive into the nitty-gritty of design, using the best examples out of any product design book ever.

The chapters cover every topic on designing UI with UX best practices in mind. That being said, if you’re UX oriented, you will have to support this book with another one about UX principles.

My favorite chapters are the one about hierarchy (“Hierarchy is Everything,” indeed) and the one about Designing Text. But that’s just personal preference. The rest of the book is just as good and informative.

Besides the content, the other reason I am so enthusiastic about “Refactoring UI” is that Wathan and Schoger respected my time. They could’ve inflated this into a 400-page book to make it feel more, as many authors do. Yet, they kept it tight and packed with value.

My only qualm is that this book’s only available in PDF , and it has a hefty $99 price tag. So, before buying, I’d recommend you check out the two free chapters available through the book’s official website. If you like the style and content, you’ll enjoy the rest of the book, so if you can afford it, go for it!

Laws of UX: Design Principles for Persuasive and Ethical Products

Author: jon yablonski.

• Highlight: 10 clearcut UX laws based on solid references
• Recommendation: UXers interested in relevant psychological concepts

“Laws of UX” provides an in-depth examination of the relationship between psychology and user experience design. Yablonski presents ten principles – or laws – sourced from his behavioral economics studies and his own research into user behavior.

These laws are condensed and snappy descriptions of lingering design concepts, like the peak-end rule, Miller’s law, and Von Restorff Effect. Now, they might sound very fancy, but I found all of them easy to grasp. On top of the 10 laws, Yablonski also explores the ethical considerations we should keep in mind when applying these principles.

Yablonksi gives clear explanations and examples for each law. I didn’t feel like he was wasting my time by repeating the same things. There’s not much fluff in this book, evidenced by its length.

Overall, “Laws of UX” is a well-researched book on psychological concepts in UX. It makes everything easy to understand, and the ideas can be applied immediately.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People

Author: susan m. weinschenk.

• Highlight: well-supported facts about user behavior presented in a fantastic format
• Recommendation: designers of all levels

This book delivers on the promise in its title. Weinschenk presents 100 facts about user behavior, categorized into clear-cut chapters that explore human behavior.

What sets this book apart from similar books is the practicality of its advice. At the end of each section, a box of takeaways provides concrete, actionable tips for applying the principles discussed in the section.

The writing style and the ideas presented feel accessible. Weinschenk opens each chapter with a story demonstrating the topic and cites numerous studies. This reassured me that I’m consuming serious information and not just the musings of a random designer.

I’d argue that many of the ideas in this book are common sense. Still, the author presents them from a new or insightful perspective that even experienced designers may not have considered. Also, sometimes you just need to hear common sense ideas laid out in an organized fashion to keep them in your awareness.

Overall, “100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People” is a valuable resource for designers of all levels, providing practical advice and interesting insights into the design field. I just wish they’d update the visual examples.

Design Is a Job

Author: mike monteiro.

• Highlight: the business of design for freelance and in-house designers
• Recommendation: freelance UX designers

Most people who read this book say they wish they had read it earlier. And I agree. “Design Is a Job” is a very short book in which Monteiro shares advice that other designers or teachers are too afraid to touch on. He talks freely about money, handling clients, and so on.

The book has many autobiographical elements and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. It’s written in a conversational style with fantastic flow. Combined with shortness, this makes for an easy and fun read.

What many senior designers have over juniors is the confidence that stems from experience. However, this book is like a cheat. Monteiro’s advice will build your confidence in your craft and make you aware of your value as a designer.

I think you should pick this book up. It takes only a few hours to read, but it’ll shape your outlook and serve you throughout your career, especially if you’re a freelance UX designer .

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Author: nir eyal.

• Highlight: a clean-cut model for building addictive products
• Recommendation: reflecting on your own product or idea

This book highlights the importance of psychology in product design and presents a framework for building products that stick. Eyal calls this the Hook Model. The model has four elements: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. These elements create a habit cycle that keeps your user engaged and returning for more. Eyal also highlights the importance of evaluation and testing to validate the model’s effectiveness.

In my opinion, this book’s best if you read it while reflecting on a specific product. Preferably a product you’re working on or a product idea you have. Combined with the exercises and examples, this approach makes it easier to internalize the content.

However, the book has two big issues: its length isn’t warranted, and the model cannot be applied to every product. Also, Eyal uses the same examples throughout (Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), which gets boring, especially since most belong to the same realm. It would’ve been nice to have a better variety of examples from a more diverse spectrum.

“Hooked” established an understanding of how to build and reinforce habits in certain products. Also, if you’re someone glued to their phone, it’ll make you more mindful of these products’ psychology without being preachy.

2. UX research and testing

This virtual shelf is for full-stack UX professionals and aspiring UX researchers.

Rocket Surgery Made Easy

Author: steve krug.

• Highlights: practical information in short-form
• Recommendation: as a refresher or introduction to usability testing

If you’re experienced in usability testing , this book is a good refresher. If you’re just starting out, this book will give you the rundown on the basics. In my opinion, this is one of the easiest reads on this topic, with its 150 pages packed with practical information and tips. And Krug’s straightforward writing style makes it even more digestible.

I think this would make a good reference book for usability testing best practices. Though some of the tips might sound obvious (keep eye contact, get the participant to narrate, do not drop clues, etc.), it has helped me be more conscious of these things while attending tests and conducting interviews.

Also, while reading this book, I realized that many of the standard ceremonies that happen or are said during usability testing are also mentioned. Like the evergreen “we’re testing the product, not you” line. It made me wonder who the source is?

The weak point of “Rocket Surgery Made Easy” is its age. Today, much of the equipment and software recommended in this book has been replaced by usability testing software , like Useberry. Still, it’s a great, compact read on usability testing.

Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights

Author: steve portigal.

• Highlight: a compact introduction to interviewing users
• Recommendation: UX designers who also do research

I was recommended this book while looking for something comprehensive to prepare for my first interviews. It was almost exactly what I was looking for. “Interviewing Users” gives you a nice overview of the process, from understanding the purpose and preparing to conduct interviews.

Portigal breaks down the process into well-structured, detailed chapters full of examples and helpful tips, like how to deal with difficult interviewees or slow conversations. The only part that’s lacking is data analysis. For that, you’ll need some extra reading.

The anecdotes and case studies in the book helped me see the big picture, providing a better understanding of the challenges I may face during an interview study. The “Interviewing Users” also gives great insider tips, like making a brain dump before interviews to clear your mind of preconceptions and expectations.

Despite the anecdotes, I’m inclined to consider this a reference book, an introduction to user interviews. You’ll find it redundant and boring if you’re a seasoned UX researcher . However, if you’re a designer who has to do interviews, this book is a one-stop and memorable resource.

Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited

Highlight: a weightless user testing and research framework

Recommendation: everyone working on digital products

I recommend this book to managers, designers, and developers alike, as it provides a common-sense outlook on usability. Krug uses a light and witty tone to communicate his message. Also, he brings plenty of entertaining examples to underline his points.

The book is filled with great advice on important topics like:

• How can every stakeholder contribute to usability?
• How to overcome roadblocks when opinions differ?
• How to eliminate excuses for disregarding usability testing.

I like that Krug keeps it real throughout the entire book. He states facts that many professionals refuse to acknowledge. For example, that nobody reads the copy of a web page in real life, nor do they spend too much time reviewing its building blocks.

This is a highly recommended read. And, if you’re looking to expand your horizon, check out the footnotes for further readings.

3. Design/product lead books

This shelf is for you if you’re a senior designer looking to accelerate your career or a junior designer who wants to know more about how product design teams work.

Continuous Discovery Habits

Author: theresa torres.

• Highlight: the most compact book about modern teams
• Recommendation: UX designers looking to advance their careers

Since user needs and desires are malleable, products need to adapt continuously. This book provides a great approach to prioritizing your users in a sensible fashion. If you’ve been working at a modern product company, you won’t find this book ground-breaking. However, I found it to be an extremely valuable read since it gives structure to lingering ideas and reinforces them. Consequently, it’ll make your efforts more focused and organized.

The book’s main idea is to keep in touch with your customer by building a regular interviewing practice. Torres gives actionable ideas on how you can achieve this. Then, you get a nice rundown on how this and other discovery processes should be interpreted, processed, applied, and evaluated.

I found “Continuous Discovery Habits” a smooth read since Torres doesn’t take unnecessary detours. The book doesn’t pretend to be something radical, either. It’s just tightly packed with relevant ideas and actionable tips.

Whether you’re looking for your first product design job or to accelerate your career into a more senior role, this book has something for you. Not because it’s revolutionary but because it presents solid knowledge without pretension.

Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love

Author: marty cagan.

• Highlight: lots of easy-to-digest lists
• Recommendation: designers aspiring to become product managers

“Inspired” by Marty Cagan is catering to product managers, but product designers can also learn from it, thanks to information about various product risks, discovery, and other techniques. This was a light read for me, but that could be because I have no desire to become a product manager, so I wasn’t really invested.

To Cagan’s credit, Inspired is well-structured, with 67 micro-chapters. I appreciated the heavy-handed use of lists because they make everything easier to grasp. It’s possible to read this book in one sitting, but you can also spread it out through a few days, especially if you take notes.

As for its content, “Inspired” is an overview of the product manager’s job with sound advice on how to be good at it. Unfortunately, Cagan starts with the usual – and at this point, extremely boring – examples. I wonder how hard it would be to collect stories from smaller-scale companies and individuals for some diversity in these books. As a content creator, I love Google, but I don’t need to read about them in every book of this genre.

Thankfully, the book picks up with good advice on building and scaling product teams, product strategy and vision, discovery, and transformation techniques. I found the two chapters about the loss of innovation and velocity most revealing, followed by the chapters about roadmaps and objectives.

This book is like a summary of hundreds of blog posts about various topics related to product management. The good news is that reading this book will save you from scouring the internet for reliable articles on these topics. Though at points I found it a bit too wordy, I think it’ll be inspiring to practicing and aspiring product managers alike.

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days

Authors: jake knapp, john zeratsky, brad kowitz.

• Highlight: a complete introduction to a popular workshop method
• Recommendation: add it to your resume

Jake Knapp’s book on design sprints is a staple on every design company’s bookshelf. Including ours. Since this book has been available for a while, I think most people already know or at least heard about its contents. So, it won’t sound as revolutionary to anyone anymore:

The Sprint is an intensive, five-day workshop method that can be applied to develop new ideas and solve product-related roadblocks using various techniques, like storyboarding and prototyping. The focus is on being productive and making decisions.

Even if you already read about it in Medium articles, “Sprint” is a worthwhile read, especially if you’re an aspiring design lead or new to the startup environment.

Let’s be honest: many companies and teams will never do 5-day sprints. Whether that’s good or not is not for us to judge. But, even if you know that your company will never do one, some of the key concepts in this book can be applied to your own ideation sessions, goal setting, and even regular meetings, like rapid sketching, time-boxing, deep focus, and so on.

The biggest problem with this book is that it could be much-MUCH shorter. Otherwise, it’s still relevant and a staple in the product design community.

4. Product design infotainment

For those of you who want something UX-related for entertainment.

User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play

Authors: cliff kuang, robert fabricant.

• Highlights: the history of UX design in infotainment format
• Recommendation: any designer and non-designer 

In “User Friendly”, Kuang and Fabricant set out to cover the evolution of user-friendliness and its impact on our lives. I find that this book serves two purposes. The first is to tell the history of user-friendliness in a serious yet engaging fashion. The second is to enrich and deepen our thinking about design. So, this is not a how-to book about skills and UX processes.

I was particularly astounded by how the user-friendliness of equipment came to prominence only recently and how technology is becoming simpler and simpler until it becomes invisible. Also, the authors make many revelations about the influence of industrial design on interface design, which is a perspective that’s usually not highlighted much.

There are a few points where the book becomes a bit preachy, especially around the discussions of social media and tech companies. Otherwise, this is an easy and short read from the infotainment genre. However, “User Friendly” is not a must-read by any means. Still, like practitioners of various artistic fields, I believe UX designers can also learn a lot from their history.

The Design of Everyday Things

Author: don norman.

• Highlight: shaping your outlook as a designer
• Recommendation: keep your creative energy flowing

Though I read it years ago, I still remember a great deal of “The Design of Everyday Things.” This book reveals the creative problem-solving and inventiveness behind the most (seemingly) simple objects, like doors, stoves, and answering machines. I think this book is a champion in the infotainment category.

Norman takes a deep dive into various aspects of design, such as ergonomics, psychology, and research, showing how these disciplines intertwine to create an aesthetically pleasing product that is intuitive and popular with the masses.

The book also looks at the potential of Big Data and AI to shake up product design. It is an eye-opening read that made me take a second look at the things I use daily and appreciate the effort that went into designing them.

Whether you’re a designer or not, this book is a great way to gain a new understanding and appreciation for the design of everyday objects.

5. UX design reference books

Use these books to build your professional vocabulary and your understanding of the product design process.

Designing Interfaces

Author: jennifer tidwell.

• Highlights: the one-stop shop for UX/UI terminology
• Recommendation: aspiring UX/UI designers

“Designing Interfaces” is a reference book on UX/UI design. In around 500 pages, Tidwell does a great job of explaining common product design patterns and design terminology.

Though written in 2005, I found that most principles in this book are relevant to this day. Also, Tidwell uses plenty of example screenshots to make her points more comprehensible. Just be prepared that some of the screenshots are a real throwback.

I skimmed this book but based on my impressions, it’s a concise overview of all important UX concepts. You’ll learn about things like midstream changes, deferred choices, satisficing, incremental construction, microbreaks, spatial memory, and so on. The biggest benefit of reading this book is that it will help you communicate more professionally.

The Elements of User Experience

Author: jesse james.

Highlight: a simplified, 5-plane framework to UX design

Recommendation:  as an introduction to product design and strategy

James takes a holistic approach to user experience in this book and builds a vocabulary of the elements involved. His approach is based on 5 planes:

• Skeleton, and

These planes cover both the abstract and concrete aspects of user experience design. They also illustrate how a UX project is structured. Each plane is based on the decisions made on the plane below while influencing the planes above.

I like that James explains why bad web design is bad and offers an approach to creating user-friendly websites. Just keep in mind that this is not a how-to book. It’ll give you the perspective and insights to figure things out on your own.

“The Elements of User Experience” also covers the general terminology of UX design and the relationship between different terms. So, this book can be a handy reference to keep at your desk. Not life-changing, just solid.

How to advance your career with UX design books?

It’s a common struggle for UX designers to fill the About page of their portfolio with adequate content. This is where your reading list will come in handy. I suggest you write three 4-5 sentence reviews about your favorite UX-related books. This will signal to design leads that you invest time and effort into your craft. Here’s a great structure to include your product design reading list in your portfolio.

• Author’s name
• Was it a recommendation? Who recommended it and why?
• Did you read about it elsewhere? Why did it catch your attention?
• Did you learn something new? What?
• Did it widen your perspective? In what way?
• Did it boost your skills? Which skills and how?
• Has it changed your design process? In what way?
• Has it contributed to any of your projects? How?

Answer 3-4 of these questions, and you’ll have an engaging book section on your About page. If you don’t want to spend hours on designing your about page, try the best UX portfolio builder: UXfolio . With UXfolio’s stunning templates, you won’t procrastinate with pixel pushing, so you can focus on what really matters in a portfolio, which is content.

Learn more about UX research and improve the way you conduct and analyze user research with our curated list of recommended books.

Observing the User Experience by Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky, and Andrea Moed

A fantastic read this book is organized into 3 parts: why you should do UX research, the techniques to do, and how to communicate and apply your research results. Overall a great read to get started in the field.

Quantifying the User Experience by Jeff Sauro and James Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research offers a practical guide for using statistics to solve quantitative problems in user research. After reading this book, you’ll know how to compute margins of error or how to determine appropriate sample sizes for research. The authors draw many practical examples from usability studies and tie statistical theory together with practice.

Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

A brief cookbook of research methods, the information in this book will be extremely helpful for organizations where research is not yet a solid part of the design process. Taking into account that it’s a relatively short book (a massive amount of information is packed into a tiny package of 154 pages), it can be a great starting point for learning how to integrate various types of UX research into your process.

Measuring the User Experience

Measuring the User Experience provides the first single source of practical information to enable usability professionals and product developers to effectively measure the usability of any product by choosing the right metric, applying it, and effectively using the information it reveals.

Ignite Your Research Mojo

User Research is a practical guide that shows readers how to use the vast array of user research methods available. Covering all the key research methods including face-to-face user testing, card sorting, surveys, A/B testing and many more, the book gives expert insight into the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of each, while also providing guidance on how to interpret, analyze and share the data once it has been obtained.

Data Driven Marketting

Based on new research from the Kellogg School of Management, this book is a clear and convincing guide to using a more rigorous, data-driven strategic approach to deliver significant performance gains from your marketing.

Find more UX research books here .

Last updated 4 years ago

The Best UX Research Books You Need to Read in 2024

As new trends emerge and consumer needs continue to shift, keeping up to date with the latest thinking, methods, and best practices in UX research will help you stay ahead of the curve. That's where the right books can make all the difference.

Below, you’ll find a list of classics and more recent publications that will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed. 

The books we picked cover diverse aspects of UX research, including usability testing, user interviews, quantitative analysis, and mental models, providing you with a comprehensive toolkit to design experiences that truly resonate with users.  ‍

Measure user satisfaction with your product or service using a Net Promoter Score survey :

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability | Steve Krug

First published in 2000, Don’t Make Me Think remains a definitive guide on web usability that encourages you to understand how users typically interact with websites.

At the heart of Krug's philosophy is the simple yet profound assertion that a well-designed website or product should allow users to achieve their goals easily and efficiently. With a brilliant knack for distilling complex concepts into digestible content, Krug guides the reader through the core principles of user-friendly design.

Don't Make Me Think also serves as a practical guide to usability testing . Krug offers easy-to-follow advice on conducting usability tests, allowing readers to apply the principles he discusses and learn from real-life user interactions.

The revisited edition, published in 2013, offers updated examples and principles as well as a section on mobile usability . 

The Design of Everyday Things | Don Norman

In his bestseller, Don Norman embarks on a mission to decode the mystery behind why some objects please their users while others frustrate them. 

The book is replete with relatable examples from our day-to-day lives, making it easy to grasp the essence of his design principles.

‍ The Design of Everyday Things is far more than a design book; it's an empathetic call to action for creating a world that respects human needs and limitations. It promotes an understanding that effective design isn't about making objects beautiful or flashy but about making users' interactions as intuitive and enjoyable as possible.

Just Enough Research | Erika Hall

In her book, Erika Hall serves up an invaluable primer on the role and execution of research in the design process. Straddling the line between academic theory and real-world application, this book cuts through the fog often associated with the subject, demystifying it with clear, concise guidance.

Hall's central premise is compelling and straightforward: research isn't an add-on or an option; it is an integral part of the design process. She deftly showcases the importance of carrying out just enough research to inform your design decisions and ensure that your product resonates with users.

The book shines in its ability to explain complex concepts in an approachable and relatable manner. Hall's writing style is casual and conversational, which aids in turning a potentially dry topic into an engaging read. 

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research | Mike Kuniavsky

Observing the User Experience by Mike Kuniavsky is a go-to reference for UX professionals and enthusiasts that offers a holistic and in-depth approach to understanding users' needs and experiences.

From the get-go, Kuniavsky emphasizes the significance of research in the design process. His approach is thoroughly user-centered , underscoring the fact that effective design is not about assumptions, but about understanding actual users and their interactions with your product or service.

The true strength of this book lies in the extensive range of UX research methods and techniques it covers. Kuniavsky doesn't merely gloss over these methods; he provides comprehensive explanations and practical advice on implementing them. From field studies and surveys to diary studies and usability tests, readers are equipped with a robust toolkit that can be adapted to various contexts and needs.

Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal

Steve Portigal offers a comprehensive guide to one of the most essential skills in the UX researcher's toolkit: conducting effective user interviews . This book shines a light on the nuances of this seemingly straightforward activity, presenting it as a crucial way to unearth insights that lead to successful products and services.

Portigal delves into the art of user interviews with a level of detail and thoughtfulness. He skillfully navigates the intricacies of planning, conducting, and analyzing interviews, revealing the richness and complexity of this form of research.

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide | Leah Buley 

The book by Leah Buley is a remarkable resource designed for UX professionals who often find themselves single-handedly managing the entire scope of user experience within an organization. It’s as much a survival guide as it is an empowering manifesto for UX enthusiasts who often grapple with limited resources and a lack of understanding from other teams.

Buley offers practical tips and strategies on how to manage multiple roles, streamline workflows, advocate for UX importance, and create an impact within the organization. Her guidance is pragmatic and actionable, enabling readers to effectively navigate their unique positions.

One of the significant strengths of this book is Buley's practical approach to UX. She presents a wide array of methodologies, techniques, and tools that readers can use, even with constrained resources. These methods cover the entire UX design process from research and ideation to prototyping and usability testing.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk

In her book, Susan Weinschenk explores the intersection between design and psychology, providing designers with a deeper understanding of how people think, feel, and behave.

Each factor is grounded in psychological theory, but the author goes beyond mere theory to show how these principles can be practically applied to design. Weinschenk presents her insights in a list format, with each of the “100 things” serving as a standalone piece of advice or insight. This structure makes the content digestible, enabling readers to dive in and out at their own pace. It also allows for easy reference, making it an invaluable resource for busy designers.

Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research | Jeff Sauro and James R Lewis

Quantifying the User Experience by Jeff Sauro and James R Lewis takes a subject that can often seem intimidating and inaccessible and makes it understandable and applicable for UX professionals.

The authors do not merely describe statistical methods; they explain why these methods are necessary and how they can be used to enhance the quality and reliability of user research.

They go beyond the numbers, showing readers how to interpret statistical results and how to use these results to guide design decisions and strategies.

Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior | Indi Young

This exceptional guidebook puts human cognition at the forefront of effective design strategy. It introduces mental models as powerful tools to understand users' thoughts and motivations, and ultimately to create products that align with their expectations and needs.

Young's approach to understanding users is revolutionary in its depth. The concept of mental models provides a framework for capturing users' thoughts, emotions, and motivations in various contexts. By mapping these cognitive processes, designers are empowered to create solutions that truly resonate with their audience.

The author guides her readers through the entire process of developing and using mental models, from conducting user interviews and interpreting the results to creating detailed diagrams and using them to inform design strategy.

Mental Models is more than just a book on user experience design; it's a journey into the human mind. It offers an invaluable perspective for designers seeking to understand their users on a deeper level. While it may require a bit more time to consume than other UX resources, the depth of insight it provides is well worth the effort.

The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web and Beyond | Jesse James Garrett

The book offers a comprehensive overview of user experience, providing an insightful guide to the philosophy, methods, and techniques of user-centered design .

Garrett's writing is well-paced and accessible, making it an excellent introduction for beginners, while still providing enough depth to be valuable for experienced professionals. 

The Elements of User Experience covers a broad range of topics, from strategy and scope to structure and surface, taking readers on a journey through each of these layers and detailing their role in creating a cohesive and compelling user experience. 

While the title suggests a focus on web design, the principles and methods Garrett discusses can be applied to any medium. This makes the book a valuable resource for anyone involved in designing user experiences, regardless of their specific area of work.

Automate your user research with Survicate

Educating yourself on the best UX research practices is half the success. But you also need to leverage the right tools to put the knowledge to practical use. 

Surveys play an integral role in this process, providing a direct line of communication with users. They can help you collect qualitative data, gauge user satisfaction, and uncover pain points that might otherwise go unnoticed.

With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Survicate makes creating and managing surveys a breeze. It allows you to easily collect feedback across various touchpoints, enabling you to obtain a holistic understanding of your users' experiences and expectations.

Simply sign up for free and enjoy unlimited user insights with Survicate!

We’re also there

UX Books: the essential reading list

UX Collective Editors

UX Collective

There are hundreds of UX Design books out there — which can be a little overwhelming for designers who are just trying to find their next read.

Take a look at the list below with our must-read UX Design books. These are the books we believe will contribute the most to anyone who is trying to get started in User Experience Design – covering topics such as usability, information architecture, interaction design and human-computer interaction.

Must-read UX books:

Don’t make me think: a common sense approach to web usability.

A mandatory reading for anyone who works in a digital company, covering basic principles that helps you to take the day-to-day design decision.

Pervasive Information Architecture: Designing Cross-Channel User Experiences

The user experience is not limited to the screen, neither is our job. Designing any interaction requires a deep understanding of the user behavior online and offline and how to explore the opportunities in all environments.

Designing for Interaction: Creating Innovative Applications and Devices

This book offers a fresh look in the interaction design field, with the new challenges of designing the world around us.

The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web

Jesse James Garret explores the basic elements of user experience design for the web in this classic reading.

Smashing UX Design: Foundations for Designing Online User Experiences

The popular website Smashing Magazine has compiled guides and resources for UX designers in a pratical and easy-to-read book.

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites

The fundamental concepts of information architecture and how to apply it for complex web systems. The bear on the cover has inspired our site design.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People

This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. Design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that matches the way people think, work, and play.

Measuring the User Experience: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics

Measuring the User Experience provides the first single source of practical information to enable usability professionals and product developers to measure the usability of any product.

More UX Design books by category:

Ux books on usability & interaction design, the list below contains some of the most relevant books focused on usability and interaction design..

uxdesign.cc

UX Books on Methods & Processes

The books listed below can help bring some structure to your design process, by covering a wide range of ux methods…, ux books on mobile & responsive design, there are hundreds of ux design books out there — which can be a little overwhelming for designers who are just trying…, ux books on research & strategy, there are hundreds of ux design books out there — but very few of them focused on user research and strategy. the list…, ux books on business & strategy, there’s a whole other side to ux that speaks more directly to business and strategy: defining your product….

This list was created by Fabricio Teixeira and Caio Braga . We hope you find it helpful and share it with your UX friends.

Written by UX Collective Editors

The polar bear behind http://uxdesign.cc

Text to speech

• UX Consulting
• Industry Spotlight
• Competitor Differentiation
• Moderated Testing
• Unmoderated Testing
• Prototype Testing
• Quantitative Testing
• Qualitative Testing
• Website Usability Testing
• Mobile App Testing
• Multi-Channel Testing
• Branching Logic
• Participant Recruitment
• Private Label
• Accessibility Testing
• Think Aloud
• Content Testing
• Information Architecture
• Surveys & Quant Usability Testing
• Advanced Methodologies
• X-Second Test
• First Click Testing
• AI UX Analysis
• ULX Benchmarking Score
• Sentiment Analysis Tools
• Video Analysis Tools
• System Usability Scale
• Case Studies
• Whitepapers
• Press Releases
• FAQ Clients
• Help Clients
• FAQ Testers
• Help Testers
• Get Paid to Test
• > Client Login
• > Tester Login

9 UX Research Books for Designing Better Products

In this blog post you will find:

• “User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance your UX Research” by Stephanie Marsh

“The Handbook of Usability Testing” by Jeffrey Rubin and Dana Chisnell

“the design of everyday things” by don norman, “just enough research” by erika hall, “mental models: aligning design strategy with human behavior” by indi young, “observing the user experience” by elizabeth goodman, mike kuniavsky, and andrea moed, “quantifying the user experience” by jeff sauro and james lewis, “interviewing users” by steve portigal, “it’s our research” by tomer sharon.

• How Can You Start With UX Research?
• What Are The Latest Trends In UX Research?

In making great products and keeping users happy, there’s one golden rule: never stop learning. Enter: UX research books!

User expectations shift as rapidly as the technological landscape, therefore staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Keeping your UX research skills sharp is important, and equipping yourself with the knowledge of the best UX research books is your ticket to success. 

In this article, we’ll give you 9 essential UX research books that you can pick up today to start designing better products tomorrow. So, cozy up in your favorite spot and dive into this curated list of UX research books that will transform you from UX enthusiast to UX guru faster than you can say “click here.”

“User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research” by Stephanie Marsh

344 Pages / 4,6 Rating / $32.99 / Get the book

Stephanie Marsh, a seasoned expert in the field, shares her wealth of experience in this comprehensive UX research book. It covers a wide range of topics essential to understanding user behavior and gathering meaningful insights. From conducting user interviews and surveys to analyzing data and creating personas, Stephanie breaks down complex concepts into digestible chunks, making them accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

One of the standout features of the book is its practical approach. Real-world examples and case studies are used throughout to illustrate how principles are applied in various contexts.

384 Pages / 4,5 Rating / $29.31 / Get the book

With Jeffrey Rubin’s extensive experience in usability testing and Dana Chisnell’s expertise in UX research, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the principles and practices of usability testing.

Readers will find a wealth of valuable information within its pages, ranging from planning and conducting usability tests to analyzing results and implementing findings. The authors break down complex concepts into clear, actionable steps, making it easy for readers to follow along and apply the techniques in their own projects.

Numerous real-world examples are provided, as well as case studies, templates, models, and more, illustrating how usability testing can be applied in different scenarios and industries.

368 Pages / 4,6 Rating / $13.49 / Get the book

Don Norman’s classic work delves into the principles of intuitive design, arguing that products should be designed with the user’s needs and limitations in mind. It’s a call to action for creating user-friendly and enjoyable interfaces. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the principles of good design.

In this book, Norman explores the fundamental concepts of usability and user-centered design, offering practical insights into how to create products that are intuitive and user-friendly. With clear examples and straightforward explanations, he demonstrates how design impacts our daily interactions and experiences.

Whether you’re in design, UX research, engineering, or simply curious about the world around you, “The Design of Everyday Things” is a valuable resource that will change the way you think about the objects you encounter every day.

198 Pages / 5,0 Rating / $37.95 / Get the book

Erika Hall’s book advocates for ‘just enough’ research in the design process. Written in a clear and accessible style, Hall offers practical advice on how to conduct effective UX research without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

She emphasizes the importance of conducting research that is focused and purposeful, providing readers with just enough information to make informed decisions. From identifying UX research goals to choosing the right methods, Hall covers all the essentials in a concise and easy-to-understand manner.

“Just Enough Research” is a valuable UX research book that will help you navigate the complexities of research and make meaningful contributions to your projects.

299 Pages / 4,3 Rating / $47.01 / Get the book

“Mental Models” is a definitive guide to understanding the relationship between design strategy and human behavior. Young, who co-founded the pioneering UX research agency Adaptive Path (acquired by Capital One in 2014), offers valuable insights into how mental models shape our perceptions and interactions with the world around us.

In this book, you will discover practical techniques for uncovering and leveraging mental models to inform design decisions. The author’s approach is both accessible and insightful, providing readers with the tools they need to create more intuitive and user-centered designs.

One of the highlights of “Mental Models” is its emphasis on empathy and understanding. Young encourages designers to step into the shoes of their users, gaining deeper insights into their motivations and behaviors. By aligning design strategy with human behavior, designers can create more meaningful experiences for their users.

601 Pages / 4,3 Rating / $44.90 / Get the book

With its 601 pages, “Observing the User Experience” offers an extensive exploration of UX research methodologies, techniques, and best practices. It covers every aspect of the process, from planning and conducting studies to analyzing data and synthesizing findings. You will find detailed discussions on various UX research methods, including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and ethnographic research. The book also delves into topics such as user personas, journey mapping, and interaction design, providing a comprehensive overview of the field.

While “Observing the User Experience” is accessible to readers of all levels, it also offers advanced insights and techniques for experienced practitioners. The authors draw from their extensive experience in the field to provide nuanced discussions on topics such as research design, data analysis, and synthesis. Advanced concepts, such as affinity diagramming, contextual inquiry, and mental models, are explored in depth as well.

Despite its length and depth, this book remains highly practical and actionable. The authors provide clear, step-by-step instructions for conducting UX research, accompanied by real-world examples and case studies. Whether you’re a novice researcher or a seasoned professional, you’ll find plenty of value in this book.

350 Pages / 4,5 Rating / $42.32 / Get the book

For those interested in the quantitative side of UX research, this book provides a practical guide to using statistics to solve problems. It’s ideal for usability professionals looking to measure the impact of their work. Readers will gain insight into statistical concepts such as sample size calculations, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing, empowering them to conduct rigorous and scientifically valid UX research studies.

Despite its focus on statistical analysis, “Quantifying the User Experience” remains highly practical and accessible to readers of all levels. The authors provide clear explanations of statistical concepts, accompanied by real-world examples and case studies. You will learn how to apply statistical techniques to analyze user data, interpret findings, and make data-driven decisions to improve the user experience of your products.

176 Pages / 4,4 Rating / $28.49 / Get the book

Steve Portigal’s book is a masterclass in interviewing users, and  a must-read for anyone looking to hone their skills. Portigal provides practical guidance and valuable insights gleaned from his extensive experience as a researcher.  

What sets this UX research book apart is its emphasis on empathy and understanding. Portigal stresses the importance of building rapport with interviewees, creating a safe space for open dialogue, and listening attentively to users’ stories and experiences. Through real-world examples, you will learn how to ask meaningful questions that don’t miss the mark.

288 Pages / 4,4 Rating / $31.96 / Get the book

“It’s Our Research” by Tomer Sharon emphasizes the importance of gaining stakeholder buy-in. The main point of the book is about cultivating a user-centered culture throughout the organization, one where stakeholders from various departments actively participate in and value UX research activities.

Sharon provides practical strategies and insights on how to effectively communicate the value of UX research to stakeholders, demonstrating its impact on product success and customer satisfaction. By aligning user research goals with organizational objectives, Sharon guides readers on how to garner support and involvement at all levels.

Moreover, “It’s Our Research” offers actionable advice on integrating user research into existing workflows and processes within organizations. The author emphasizes the collaborative nature of UX research, encouraging cross-functional teams to work together.

How can you start with UX research?

The selection of UX research books mentioned above lays a strong foundation for further exploration. In addition, reads like “ Don’t Make Me Think ” by Steve Krug and “ Thinking, Fast and Slow ” by Daniel Kahneman are essential additions to any bookshelf. These UX research books offer a solid introduction to UX principles.

It’s important to recognize that enhancing UX, whether for your own product or within a company, is a slow and steady journey involving multiple stakeholders. Beginning with a solid grasp of foundational knowledge, including familiarizing yourself with the jargon, techniques, and concepts, is crucial. 

Additional resources are available through our blog . If you would like to learn more about UX benchmarking as well, consider joining our upcoming webinar on the ULX® Benchmarking Score .

What are the latest trends in UX research?

If you’re feeling unsure about where to start your UX research journey and want to dive into the latest trends straight away, there are a few key areas you can explore.

• Usability Remote Testing
• AI Analytics
• Inclusive Design

First, Usability Remote Testing. It allows you to gather feedback from users without being in the same location. Platforms like Userlytics make this process easy and accessible, and have surged in popularity over the years.

Next, look into AI-driven Analytics, which can help you analyze large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. Userlytics’ AI UX Analysis capabilities makes the whole process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting large quantities of video content in an efficient and streamlined manner.

Finally, Inclusive Design is definitely a field you should learn about. It is about ensuring that your products are usable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. If you would like to know more about Inclusive Design, consider listening to this interview of Userlytics’ UX Whisperers Podcast.

By focusing on these areas, as well as strengthening your foundational knowledge with the aforementioned UX research books, you can stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving field of UX research!

About the Author: Mehdi El Taghdouini

Mehdi is the Head of Content and Communications at Userlytics. He is skilled at writing clear and engaging content on several topics, especially technology and SaaS products. Before joining Userlytics, Mehdi led the content marketing team of the largest Google Cloud and Google Workspace reseller in the Benelux market. He brings six years of experience in managing content for both startups and large companies. Mehdi holds a Bachelor\'s degree in E-Business and enjoys photography in his spare time. His photography projects have been exhibited in Brussels, Hong Kong, and Barcelona, where he now lives.

Related posts:

The 6 Best UX Testing Tools for UX Research in 2024

How to Use Gestalt Principles for Better UX

What Is Preference Testing And How to Do It Right?

Latest posts.

AI in UX: The Ultimate Guide To Improve UX With AI

The State of UX in 2024

Accessibility, Bias Mitigation, and AI in UX Research

Didn’t find what you were searching for.

Creating a product that is pleasant to use involves many elements. One of the most critical is user experience (UX) research. Since the launch of the first remote UX testing tool in the first decade of the century, multiple UX testing tools have emerged. Some are focused on a specific category of UX research, such…  Read More » The 6 Best UX Testing Tools for UX Research in 2024

What Are The Gestalt Principles? The Gestalt Principles, a theory developed in the early 20th century by German psychologists, focuses on our ability to perceive overall patterns and designs. Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka, the founding figures, proposed that “the whole is other than the sum of its parts.” This fundamental concept has…  Read More » How to Use Gestalt Principles for Better UX

Let’s say you’re developing a new website or mobile app. The exciting part of developing a visual identity is upon you and you’re hesitating between different fonts, colors, typographies, placements of buttons, etc. You choose the one that appears the coolest to you. After all, it’s your website or app, right? This is where the…  Read More » What Is Preference Testing And How to Do It Right?

Ready to Elevate Your UX Game?

Dive into our Resources Hub for a wealth of UX insights and tools, or jumpstart your journey with a free demo today. Discover how Userlytics can transform your user experience strategy!

Home - Learn UX - UX Books: 15+ Must-Reads in 2024 (Updated)

UX Books: 15+ Must-Reads in 2024 (Updated)

There’s a lot of information on UX out there. If you want to learn more about UX, become a UX designer, or improve yourself as a designer reading a book can be of great help. With that many books available, knowing where to begin can be difficult. My reading list of top UX books and recommendations in 2024 is a great place to start. Take a look!

• Updated on January 3, 2024

There are many, many excellent UX design books you can read. I’ll provide a list of essential must-read UX books you can read in 2024. Once you have read these books, you can consider yourself to have a solid understanding of UX theory.

After that, you can pick books from my more specific reading lists. These include UX books for beginners, UX research, and UX writing . I will provide them at the end of this post. Good luck!

Table of Contents

The benefits of reading books on ux.

There are a couple of routes you can take in starting learning about UX . Some are expensive, like online UX courses and bootcamps, while others are very time-consuming, like joining a university to get your master’s degree in UX.

Another option might be to read a nice book on UX. Just think of it. You can read books in your own time, at your own pace, and in a place of your choice. For example, you can read a book in your garden while enjoying a nice cup of tea, on a train to work, or just before bed.

Books are a lot cheaper and less time-consuming as well. You can listen to an audiobook while at work or while you take a walk. I like to listen to audiobooks while I drive to work. It’s very efficient!

Even in 2024, in the era of working-from-home and online collaboration, reading UX books can be your go-to choice when you want to become a UX designer.  While bootcamps and courses are either online or postponed, you can still order one or two books to read. You will not be delayed in your learning journey.

Essential UX books in 2024

Let’s start at the beginning. Here’s my reading list of top UX books that are a must-read regardless of your current position, goals, or experience as a designer.

The books I’m about to recommend should be a part of any UX reading list, as these books will help regardless of your experience.

The Design of Everyday Things

The Design of Everyday Things is an all-time classic in UX design. Therefore, it is a must-read for every UX designer. Written by  Don Norman  in 1988, this book is still relevant today. It aims to teach you fundamental principles on designing useful products that are delightful to use.

One of these principles is the idea of affordances in UX. Affordances are an essential subject when you want to  become a UX designer . Other important subjects are introductions to user-centered design, the Norman Door, and design thinking. In other words, go and read this UX masterpiece!

The Design of Everyday things explains how design acts as the bridge between an object and the user. Furthermore, it helps explain how good design can make the interaction between users and objects enjoyable. 

After its initial release, the book received a significant update in 2013. Because of this, the book is relevant for every UX designer today.

👉 You can get this book on Amazon .

Related post –  The Design of Everyday Things review .

Don’t Make Me Think

Yet another classic book on UX. This book is your go-to source for anything on usability. As you might know, usability is a big part of UX, making this a great book to help you learn about it as a UX professional.

Steve Krug states that good design is where you do not have to think about how you should interact with the design. Good design makes it easy for you to complete your tasks. You’ll learn how to make that happen.

Like The Design of Everyday Things, this book has had several updates—the most recent one being in 2013.

Don’t Make Me Think is an easy book to read. With just over 200 pages, it is pretty short as well. You could finish the book in just a few days. The book focuses on classic design rules like the 3-click-rule and whether or not you should still apply it today. There’s a lot of humor inside, which makes reading the book a breeze.

👉 You can get the book on Amazon .

The UX Jobs Handbook

Yes, I’m mentioning my ebook in my list of must-read UX books. That’s because it is a very helpful book! The UX Jobs Handbook is a step-by-step approach to landing your first UX design job.

Over 50 pages of actionable tips, tricks, examples, and tutorials help you learn all job hunting essentials while you work your way to landing your first job as a UX designer. The ebook will help you learn the following and much more.

• How to write a cover letter that will get you job interviews.
• Tips, tricks, and templates for your portfolio.
• How to prepare and ace your job interview.
• And much more.

You can get the ebook in one of three bundles over on Gumroad. Check it out below.

No Bullshit Guide to UX

This is a UX ebook written by the great Hype4 Academy . As the title suggest, it will learn you about UX without all the fluff and one-liners.

I will try and do the same for this summary. No beating around the bush. This UX ebook is a must-read for any UX beginner. Take a look at the book on Gumroad below.

👉 You can get this ebook on Gumroad

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People

You design your applications to be used by people. It is called user experience design for a reason. To do this effectively, you must know who your users are, what they want, and how they work.

Understanding your users will benefit the quality of your design considerably. This book will help you with just that; understanding your users. It does so by taking a closer look at how users work and perceive things. Because of this, UX researchers will also benefit from reading this book.  But more on UX research posts later.

In her book, Susan Weinschenk talks about how human beings function on a very deep primal level. One example I found very interesting was how we’re unconsciously triggered to focus on someone’s face. I didn’t know that before! It brings many options to my UX design work. Here are some more examples.

• We can have a fight-or-flight response for any object we see.
• In time, we learn new associations with colors and branding.
• You can divide how people perceive info into how we see, read, and think.

As a UX designer, you can make great use of the things this book teaches you. Therefore, this book is a must-read and should be on the reading list of every UX designer.

Smashing UX Design: Foundations for Designing Online User Experiences

Smashing UX Design is a book that takes an in-depth look into UX. With well over 400 pages, this book is nothing to take lightly! You can divide Smashing UX design into four parts.

• An introduction to UX. It makes the book an exciting read for beginners as well.
• UX research.
• The tools you will need as a designer.
• Specific design cases to go from theory into practice.

The structure of Smashing UX Design is very clear. The book builds on every chapter that passes with new info and insights. It starts very basic and moves carefully to more complex topics.

The book provides you with everything there is to know on UX. Do you want to learn about a particular type of design workshop, specific tools for designing a great landing page, or an introduction to UX research? This book has you covered.

That’s all there is to say on Smashing UX Design. If you have a UX-related question, this book is for you. However, keep in mind that the book is primarily aimed at UX design for the web. The author doesn’t talk that much about mobile.

You’re My Favorite Client

Mike Monteiro is a very outspoken designer. And that’s an understatement. He is known for his talks and lectures around the world and for being the co-founder and design director of  Mule Design , an interaction design studio based in San Francisco.

You can view one of his lectures on how designers destroy the world just below. It is one of my favorite design talks.

In addition, he is the author of multiple books, including the one I recommend here. The UX book is called You’re My Favorite Client, and it is the follow-up to his first book, Design Is A Job.

With only 127 pages, this book is a short read, especially compared to some of the other UX books on this reading list. The book zooms in on the relationship you need to build with your clients to create a successful product. Compared to other books on this list, it stands out as they focus more on hard skills.

Client-designer relationships can be complicated. To make it a success, you have to focus on the soft skills of a UX designer. In the book, Mike Monteiro talks about the step-by-step process of selling and creating your design work, including the questions you must ask and the people you must hire. Especially that final part makes this book also interesting for design managers and even clients.

I recommend all four of Mike Monteiro’s books, but I had to choose one; this book is the one.

Free UX books

There’s an easy way of reading some of my recommended books on UX for free. It can be of great help since getting a lot of books can still be an investment close to that of a UX course.

Try out Amazon’s Audible Plus. You can listen to books while doing something else. For example, I listen to audiobooks while I commute to work.

This excellent service has multiple books found on this UX reading list, including The Design of Everyday Things, the books by Mike Monteiro that I’ve mentioned previously, and more.

Try the service for 30 days for free. Cancel anytime!

Best UX books for beginners

When you’re trying to  become a UX designer , reading books on UX will help you develop an understanding of the theories behind UX. Here’s my recommended reading list of top UX books for beginners.

The first two books are also part of my essential UX booklist, as discussed above. Start with the following books. Both of them are listed above.

• Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug.
• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman.

Learning UX is like learning to ride a bike. First, you start with some assistance like training wheels.

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug is like those training wheels. You’ll start easy with UX basics, how-to’s, and principles to get you going.

After that, the training wheels come off when you read The Design of Everyday Things. This book is more abstract and conceptual. It tackles real-life situations, while Don’t Make Me Think is very concrete and focuses on best practices and actionable tips and tricks.

Once you’re done with these first two, continue with the following beginner-friendly UX design books.

Universal Principles of Design

This book is a top read for every beginning UX designer. In the current edition, you can learn 150 design principles. Just think of The Design of Everyday Things and its seven design principles. Then, add another 143 to that list, and you have the Universal Principles of Design!

As a UX designer, you need to speak the language of design. This book teaches you just that.

You can use this book as a dictionary for UX design. With a new design principle every few pages, all you have to do is reference a page you want to know more about.

Then, by adding a sticky note, you remember where to look. Does a more senior UX designer talk about a principle you don’t know? Just look it up in your new UX dictionary!

Universal Principles is a contender for the number one spot on every beginning UX designer’s reading list. It helps designers get started the right way. In addition, the book includes incredible examples and illustrations, which makes it an easy and fun read.

Lean UX is an excellent book for UX beginners, written by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden.

Most clients you’re going to collaborate with work using an Agile framework, like Scrum and Kanban. Scrum events like the daily standup, sprint retrospectives, and reviews are common for almost any UX designer. This book helps you find your place within a Lean and Agile working environment.

Yes, UX and Agile have some differences in their way of working. However, lean UX will give you the tools you need to work together with Agile-minded teams and clients efficiently and productively. And if you need more help, you can always take a look at the  ultimate Scrum guide for UX designers  I wrote.

The User Experience Team of One

During your design career, it could happen that you’re either going to be the only designer at your company or that you’re going to have to collaborate with clients that not see the benefit of good UX design.

That’s where this book comes in. The UX Team of One teaches you how you can get the design done and make an impact while being a one-person UX design team. It focuses on getting more UX work done in less time and how you survive as a lone UX professional.

UX for Beginners: 100 Short Lessons to Get You Started

This book is all about the  UX Crash Course blog  you can find at The Hipper Element. Joel Marsh, a designer and author, wrote both the blog and book.

UX for Beginners is a book that teaches you, as the title suggests, 100 basics about UX. Like the Universal Principles of Design I mentioned earlier, this is essentially a very long listicle. Together, they provide you with 250 principles. That’s instant growth as a designer right there!

These fundamental design principles can help any beginner become a better UX designer. Even experienced designers can still learn a thing or two from this book.

UX research books

Research is one of the building blocks of UX design. Some of the books on my UX reading list also cover some of this expertise. Yet, I believe UX research to be a skill that is too important not to have its list of recommended books. Here’s my list of UX research books. Take a look!

Quantifying the User Experience

Design is about more than just putting pixels in order. Yes, it is important, but there is way more that you will need to do as a UX designer. I’m talking about user research, or UX research in short. As I said before, user research is a unique skill that deserves its own list.

One of the most challenging parts of being a designer is measuring the success of your design. Most people think that design is something subjective. You either like it, or you don’t. Quantifying the User Experience is a UX research book that gives you the tools to do qualitative and quantitative user research. You’ll learn how to break through the image of how design is subjective.

After reading the book, you will be able to measure the success of your UX design work. In addition, by using these tools, you can convince stakeholders of the  importance of UX design . It will, in turn, help you become a better designer.

Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior

A lot happens inside a user’s mind when they interact with your design. For example, your users might have a prejudice or bias you’re not aware of. In other cases, using your designs might be scary for first-time users.

How someone sees an object and how he thinks it will work is what we call a mental model. User research is an essential part of your design process when working as a UX designer. Understanding the mental model involved is key to delivering a user experience that’s both helpful and delightful.

That’s where this UX research book comes in. Indi Young, the author of Mental Models, describes how to approach such a user research process in great detail. If you’re up for a design project that involves UX research, this is an essential book that has to be on every reading list.

Best books for UX writing

Text is becoming a more significant part of the user experience every day. That’s why  UX writing  is an integral part of the modern UX designer’s toolbox.

Just think of it like this. One way to communicate is by sending a text message. Every product you use has a form of text (or speech) in one way or another. As a UX writer, you have to be prepared for that.

These books on UX writing can help you learn the skills you need to make communication within your product easy to use and understand.

Strategic Writing for UX: Drive Engagement, Conversion, and Retention with Every Word

Let’s start with the author. Torrey Podmajersky is a very experienced UX writer. He has working experience at multiple big companies like Google and Microsoft.

She believes UX writing is only about the text within the scope of a UX designer. These texts include headings, call-to-actions, and button labels. UX writers work very closely with copywriters and (in part) marketeers. However, it is very much its own specialty.

Strategic Writing for UX takes a close look at common topics within UX writing, like conversational design, what UX writing is (and isn’t), best practices, and how to measure work effectiveness.

The book does so in a transparent and down-to-earth way. As a result, I can recommend this book to UX designers at any experience level.

👉 You can get Strategic Writing for UX on Amazon .

Further reading

I will be updating this reading list whenever I see new UX books that I think will help you become a UX designer. In addition, I’ll be creating follow-up lists focused on specific topics, like UI design books.

In the meantime, I suggest you read more about  becoming a UX designer . After all, theory on UX is an essential part of every UX designer’s toolbox. Reading books is just one part of that.

Some of the links of this page are affiliate links. I might earn a commission if you order through these links. This doesn’t cost you anything, but it helps me run this website.

Do you have feedback on this article? Missing something? Or just a question? Reach out to me and I’ll get back to you!

About the author

Hi! I'm Nick Groeneveld , a senior designer from the Netherlands with experience in UX, visual design, and research. I'm a UX coach that supports other designers and have completed design projects in finance, tech, and the public sector.

Through The Designer's Toolbox, I'm an Educational Partner for Interaction Design Foundation.

☎️ Book a 1:1 mentor meeting with me or let's connect on LinkedIn , Twitter and Medium .

Our best seller 💪

Step-by-step guide to getting hired in UX

Our resources 💡

Community, books, guides, mentorship, and more

Learn how to get hired in UX without sending hundreds of job applications.

Get actionable tips from the UX Career Track to help you get hired and build a career in UX.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

The Designer's Toolbox

The Designer’s Toolbox helps you get hired in UX and UI Design. We’re your collection of design community, tips, tricks, and best practices.

About The Designer’s Toolbox

Getting started with UX

UX Equipment

UX Design Tools

Build your UX portfolio

Get a job in UX

For brands and companies

Work with us

UX Case Study Course

All resources

© 2024 All rights Reserved by the Designer's Toolbox

Privacy policy

Top 7 UX Research Books

uxplanet.org

UX research is the foundation of successful design and development. Good research is about asking better questions, and thinking critically about the answers. It’s something every product designer should do, and which everyone can learn.

Just Enough Research by Erika Hall

Erika Hall distills her experience into a brief cookbook of research methods. Learn how to discover your competitive advantages, spot your own blind spots and biases, understand and harness your findings, and why you should never, ever hold a focus group.

Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal

Interviewing is a foundational user research tool that people assume they already possess. Everyone can ask questions, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Interviewing Users provides invaluable interviewing techniques and tools that enable you to conduct informative interviews with anyone.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk

This guide helps to combine behavioural science and research with practical examples on everything from font size to online interactions. “ What motivates people? ”, “ What grabs and holds attention? ”, “ What makes memories stick? ” are some of the questions this book will answer.

Quantifying the User Experience: Practical Statistics for User Research by Jeff Sauro

The is a practical guide on how to use statistics to solve common quantitative problems that arise in user research. It addresses questions users face every day, including, Is the current product more usable than our competition? Can we be sure at least 70 percent of users can complete the task on their first attempt? How long will it take users to purchase products on the website?

Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior by Indi Young

Learning users’ mental models is one of the best ways is to understand their reasons for doing things. Mental Models gives you the tools to help you grasp, and design for, those reasons. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves book for designers, managers, and anyone else interested in making design strategic, and successful.

User Research: Improve Product and Service Design and Enhance Your UX Research by Stephanie Marsh

This is a practical guide that shows how to use the vast array of user research methods available. It covers all the key research methods including face-to-face user testing, card sorting, surveys, A/B testing and many more.

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide by Leah Buley

The User Experience Team of One prescribes a range of approaches that have big impact and take less time and fewer resources than the standard lineup of UX deliverables. Whether you want to cross over into user experience or you’re a seasoned practitioner trying to drag your organization forward, this book gives you tools and insight for doing more with less.

Want To Learn UX Research?

Try Interaction Design Foundation . It offers a comprehensive UX research course that covers all essential topics, such as What qualitative user research is and why you should do it, How to fit user research into your own design process, and How to make your research matter by communicating effectively about your research results .

User Research - Methods and Best Practices

This course will give you insights into the most essential qualitative research methods around and how to put them into….

www.interaction-design.org

This post contains affiliate link(s)

Written by uxplanet.org

http://uxplanet.org

Text to speech

Product Design (UX/UI) Bundle and save

User Research New

Content Design

UX Design Fundamentals

Software and Coding Fundamentals for UX

• UX training for teams
• Hire our alumni
• Student Stories
• State of UX Hiring Report 2024
• Our mission
• Advisory Council

Education for every phase of your UX career

Professional Diploma

Learn the full user experience (UX) process from research to interaction design to prototyping.

Combine the UX Diploma with the UI Certificate to pursue a career as a product designer.

Professional Certificates

Learn how to plan, execute, analyse and communicate user research effectively.

Master content design and UX writing principles, from tone and style to writing for interfaces.

Understand the fundamentals of UI elements and design systems, as well as the role of UI in UX.

Short Courses

Gain a solid foundation in the philosophy, principles and methods of user experience design.

Learn the essentials of software development so you can work more effectively with developers.

Give your team the skills, knowledge and mindset to create great digital products.

Join our hiring programme and access our list of certified professionals.

Learn about our mission to set the global standard in UX education.

Meet our leadership team with UX and education expertise.

Members of the council connect us to the wider UX industry.

Our team are available to answer any of your questions.

Fresh insights from experts, alumni and the wider design community.

Success stories from our course alumni building thriving careers.

Discover a wealth of UX expertise on our YouTube channel.

Latest industry insights. A practical guide to landing a job in UX.

8 must-read UX books for anyone interested in User Experience design

Looking for your next UX books to read? Whether you’re a student or senior practitioner, these helpful books can deepen your UX knowledge.

Free course: Introduction to UX Design

What is UX? Why has it become so important? Could it be a career for you? Learn the answers, and more, with a free 7-lesson video course.

From design theory classics to industry guides, we’ve compiled a list of our top eight UX books reading recommendations.

Our top 8 Must-read UX books:

Ux book 1: the design of everyday things by don norman.

The Design of Everyday Things

Don Norman is considered to be one of the founding members of modern UX design. The Design of Everyday Things was first published in 1988, and it’s known as the usability bible.

It’s a must-read for anyone who designs for humans. The book’s main theme explores the relationship between a user and an object’s design.

It highlights that although we’re often keen to blame ourselves when objects appear to malfunction; it’s rarely the fault of the user but rather poor design.

The book claims that: “It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design and the desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed.”

Its insights are just as relevant today as they were thirty years ago, making it a UX classic.

[FREE UX DESIGN COURSE] Click Here to Dive into the World of UX

Ux book 2: the inmates are running the asylum: why high tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity by alan cooper.

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity 

Alan Cooper is a software designer, programmer and founder of Cooper – a leading interaction design consultancy. He’s well known for developing the Goal Directed Design methodology.

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum was first published in 1999. It’s another UX classic that looks at the value of user experience.

The book argues that “the business executives who make the decisions to develop these products are not the ones in control of the technology used to create them.”

It pioneers designing for normal people through the likes of user research and personas. While this might seem like an ageing revelation for some, user research is still often deprioritised in modern UX practice.

UX book 3: The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web by Jesse James Garrett

The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web 

Jesse James Garrett is a UX designer who has worked on the web since 1995. Aside from writing The Elements of User Experience , Garrett has developed the Visual Vocabulary , a notation system for documenting UX design; and defining Ajax , an approach to creating web applications.

His book The Elements of User Experience adds more structure to UX design theory classics like The Design of Everyday Things and The Inmates Are Running the Asylum. 

It carefully dissects the UX process and looks at how its various stages influence a product.

Here’s what you can expect to read:

“With so many issues involved—usability, brand identity, information architecture, interaction design— creating the user experience can be overwhelmingly complex. This edition cuts through that complexity with clear explanations and vivid illustrations that focus on ideas rather than tools or techniques. Garrett gives readers the big picture of user experience development, from strategy and requirements to information architecture and visual design.”

It’s another foundational UX book that you’ll want to keep close to your desk.

UX book 4: Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability 

Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug was first published in 2000. It examines how good software is easy to use, and why it shouldn’t make you think.

This is reflected in its writing style. It’s like reading a very well-written, punchy comic book. You’ll instantly understand the points, but it will also make you think deeply about usability and accessibility.

You’ll understand UX – what it’s about and why research is so important. It uses real-world analogies to illustrate how UX can make products and people’s lives so much better.

Krug thinks that people are good at satisficing , taking the first available solution to fix their problem. He thinks design should take advantage of this opportunity.

[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]

UX book 5: 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (and its sequel 100 More Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People ) could appeal to those interested in the psychological side of UX.

These straightforward books were written by behavioural psychologist, Dr. Susan Weinschenk, who has worked in the UX field since 1985. She applies neuroscience to understand what motivates people and how to get them to take action. She teaches, speaks, mentors, and consults with Fortune 1000 companies, startups, non-profit agencies, and educational institutions.

Weinschenk uses her expertise to steer designers into making better decisions in both books.

100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People can be summarised as:

“This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. With it you’ll be able to design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that match the way people think, work, and play.”

UX book 6: Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction by Jenny Preece, Helen Sharp & Yvonne Rogers

Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction

Interaction Design   is a key academic interaction design resource for students and professionals alike.

Academic contributors include Jenny Preece (Professor and Dean Emerita in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland); Helen Sharp (Professor of Software Engineering and Dean in the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at the Open University); and Yvonne Rogers (Professor of Interaction Design and Director of the Interaction Centre at University College London).

This is a comprehensive resource for learning about interaction design, human-computer interaction, information design, web design, while looking at how they relate to AI and data science.

UX book 7: Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research by Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky & Andrea Moed

Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research

Observing the User Experience by Mike Kuniavsky encourages designers to see things from the users’ perspective, offering practical advice for designers.

It aims to bridge the gap between designers and their users, by looking at what users want and need. It offers designers 13 user research techniques to help them create better products.

The book considers real world constraints like tight budgets, scheduling issues, etc, making it a great field guide for designers.

Observing the User Experience is a good introduction to user research, as well as a good refresher.

UX book 8: Delft Design Guide: Design strategies and methods by Annemiek van Boeijen, Jaap Daalhuizen, Roos van der Schoor & Jelle Zijlstra

Delft Design Guide: Design strategies and methods

Delft Design Guide  by Annemiek van Boeijen, Jaap Daalhuizen, Jelle Zijlstra, Roos van der Schoor catalogues seventy strategies, techniques and methods taught at TU Delft. Some of these are unique to TU Delft and others are found outside of it.

The main purpose of this book is to teach design students, but it’s a useful resource for practitioners too.

Although this is a dense read, it’s a comprehensive resource that you can revisit again and again.

Now that you have your ultimate list of UX books to start reading why not check out more of our helpful resources for your UX career? Check out our top UX design tools for 2022 and our guide to the best UX portfolio out there .

• Top UX Books
• UX Design Books
• UX Research Books

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the best UX insights and career advice direct to your inbox each month.

Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter

You'll now get the best career advice, industry insights and UX community content, direct to your inbox every month.

Upcoming courses

Professional diploma in ux design.

Learn the full UX process, from research to design to prototyping.

Professional Certificate in UI Design

Master key concepts and techniques of UI design.

Certificate in Software and Coding Fundamentals for UX

Collaborate effectively with software developers.

Certificate in UX Design Fundamentals

Get a comprehensive introduction to UX design.

Professional Certificate in Content Design

Learn the skills you need to start a career in content design.

Professional Certificate in User Research

Master the research skills that make UX professionals so valuable.

Upcoming course

Build your UX career with a globally-recognised, industry-approved certification. Get the mindset, the skills and the confidence of UX designers.

You may also like

Top 15 UX influencers you should be following in 2023

UX after Covid-19: What can we expect? (2023 update)

The UX Landscape: What a UX career looks like in 2021

Build your UX career with a globally recognised, industry-approved qualification. Get the mindset, the confidence and the skills that make UX designers so valuable.

3 September 2024

Top 7 UX Research Books To Read In 2023

In the competitive market, your product needs to leave a lasting impact on the users, to ensure its success. The impact begins right from the first interaction. All these points out to only one thing— user experience. 

A good and desirable user experience has certain criteria. The first one among those is ‘staying on the same page as your users’. The user experience should be designed completely based on your users’ likes and dislikes. If they don’t find your design relevant, they simply leave, especially with a number of alternatives around.

How to ensure that you are creating user-centered designs? 

Research is the answer. User Experience research, also known as design research is the study of user requirements to add contexts and insights into the design process. This data from this research is used to tweak the design, leading to a better user experience. When your design decisions are based on actual research data, it’s evident that you are creating user-centric products. 

So, in building products with amazing design and user experience, UX research is crucial. To help you get strong with this crucial part of the design process, here are a few ux books for beginners and professionals. 

All these books make you a better UX researcher, helping you create designs that people love. Are you eager to see what’s on our list? Let’s begin.

#1-Just Enough Research 

Just Enough Research, written by Erica Hall, is a great book if you are a beginner to user experience research. It’s a compact hands-on guide, a quick read and a good option to get started with research.   

It begins with introducing and explaining the basics of the research process and emphasizes the importance of conducting it. Here’s how she describes research,

“ In design, you’re solving for user needs and business goals. In research, you’re solving for a lack of information. ”

Erica Hall suggests ways to introduce usability research practices into companies where it isn’t a part of the product design process . She also mentions other useful resources for designers to get advances with the research process.

The book goes on further explaining various types of research like user research, competitive research, and evaluative research. The author presents a lot of real-world examples and scenarios. What makes the book even more interesting is the humor element in Erica’s writing. 

It doesn’t stop with the conducting but also explains the data analysis part. Erica adds tips and techniques to conduct research without big budgets. Assumptions are the enemies of good research. She emphasizes this here by saying,

“ Your desire to find out needs to be stronger than your desire to predict. Otherwise, you’ll be a mess of confirmation bias, looking for answers that confirm what you already assume ”

The book is a useful read for anyone whose job demands them to indulge in researching users— stakeholders, designers, and product managers. 

#2-Think like a UX researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy

Think like a UX researcher, published in 2019, is written by David Travis and Philip Hodgson. It is a book that brings you fresh perspectives to the existing ideas and pushes you to evaluate your methods of UX research. It speaks about the major misconceptions and giving clarifications for the same. It’s packed with research-backed information on UX. 

Right from planning the research to analyzing the data, the book covers it all. The book doesn’t just educate you with the tips but also guides you in applying them effectively. And as a part of that,  there’s a mention of best practices to be followed in each of those steps. Every chapter ends with a question that puts you to test yourself about the things you have read in the chapter.  

Another main thing this book addresses is the difference between user research and UX research. The authors say, 

“User research implies a focus on users only; in contrast, UX research encourages practitioners and stakeholders to take a more strategic view and focus on what really matters: the user’s experience.”

Giving justice to the title, the authors have added details and strategies for UX researchers that help them build a career path. The chapters are standalone and completely make sense even when you read them in fragments. The book is a typical ‘pick up and read anytime anywhere’ kind.

This book is a great choice in spite of the level of your expertise— anyway it puts you a step ahead in your UX career. 

#3-Interviewing Users: Uncover Compelling Insights

A crucial part of the research is the interview. If you think anyone can ace at conducting interviews, you are wrong. Interviews are a complicated part of UX research. To be able to gain valuable revelation about the users, you need to be prepared in the right way. This book is written by Steve Portigal.

The book helps you with everything that has to do with interviews—  preparation, questions and how to ask them, and many more. Questions, the author considers the crucial part of the interviews and adds tips on framing the same. 

“There’s a difference between what you want to know and what you ask.”

The author begins by stating the importance of interviews in design, explaining issues that arise out of poor preparation or rapport between the interviewer and users. By stating the pitfalls that will occur in the interview process, he helps people to conduct interviews mindful of the mistakes. He adds tips and techniques for the entire process, here’s an example,

“ Stories are where the richest insights lie, and your objective is to get to this point in every interview. ”

The book is filled with examples along with funny real-life experiences of the author. It is a practical guide, providing you with a framework for interviews. The book is a great resource for beginners and in the case of experienced ones, it’s a good refresher. 

#4-Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions 

The book, as its name suggests comprises 100 methods of design research, is written by Bella Martin and Bruce Hammington. 

The research methods are arranged in alphabetical order, making them easy to refer to. The methods are classified into different categories, like 

• Behavioral/attitudinal
• Quantitative/qualitative
• Innovative/adapted/traditional
• Exploratory/generative/evaluative
• Participatory/observational/self-reporting/expert review/design process

Each method is given a short description, followed by visual content along with its history and an example. There are illustrated case studies, that compensate for the briefness of the method explanation. The techniques are not described in-depth, however, the authors provide references in case the readers wish to explore. 

There’s also an explanation of how the methods have evolved over time. It also adds information about how each method fits inside the overall design process. 

With 100 methods in place, it’s easy for readers to get confused. But the authors cleverly state the methods similar to the one that’s explained. This brings clarity and effectiveness to the conveying. The book is like a dictionary, which every designer/researcher should have on their shelf. 

This acts as a perfect reference for the research teams. Even though it’s not suitable for beginners, they can always use this book to get aware of the multiple techniques.

#5-UX for Lean Startup: Faster, Smarter User Experience Research and Design

UX for Lean startups is a book written for entrepreneurs and non-designers or anyone who has a product idea and wants to validate it. But designers can also read the book to get insights on user-centered design practices. It provides tips as to how startup founders can develop effective UX without spending much on it. The book is penned by Laura Klein.

The first chapter clearly explains how the UX fits into an agile startup environment. The book is divided into three parts—  validation, design, and product. 

The first part deals with the various validation techniques and user research techniques. The author explains what is not validation here by saying,

“ Here is the worst possible way for you to try to figure out if your idea solves somebody’s problem: Ask them. The vast majority of entrepreneurs seem to think that explaining their concept in detail to a few people and then asking whether it’s a good idea constitutes validation. It does not. ”

Here are some more insights the author provides on how not to ask questions, 

“Ask Open-Ended Questions When you start to ask questions, never give the participant a chance to simply answer yes or no. The idea here is to ask questions that start a discussion. These questions are bad for starting a discussion: “Do you think this is cool?” “Was that easy to use?” These questions are much better: “What do you think of this?” “How’d that go?”

The second part speaks about designing for validation and added design hacks and tips. The third part is on measuring product success through UX research. In all these, the core idea is to develop products that are intuitive and easy to use.

At the end of each part, there’s a ‘Go do this now’ chapter, with actionable items. The book also mentions the basic reasons why people skip certain steps and why it is bad for your product. The author makes the narrative interesting through a number of funny stories and examples.

#6-It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience Research Projects

It’s Our Research, is aimed at in-house UX and usability researchers, in any organization where the research process is not completely established.  It’s useful for self practitioners too. The author, Tomer Sharon provides great insights into the research process. 

Bringing various teams together for UX research is a great way to ensure the creation of user-centered products. But it’s a difficult task to get everyone on the same page. This book states effective tools and techniques to convince and involve stakeholders in the UX research process.

It’s not just persuading the stakeholders that the book teaches, there’s more. There are also methods to collaborate effectively with other teams like design and marketing for conducting UX research.

The book helps you with various processes —  identifying stakeholders, planning & executing the research, and communicating the results effectively. The author brings you a number of case studies and interviews explained with UX theories. There’s also a QR code for 20+ videos of the interviews conducted for this book with UX research experts from around the world. The author also states ways to test if your research is impactful among the teams and stakeholders. 

The book is filled with colorful illustrations, images, and screenshots to explain the concepts. It’s a perfect guide for UX researchers, be a beginner or an expert.

#7-Validating Product Ideas: Through Lean User Research

Another book by Tomer Sharon, Validating product ideas is aimed at product managers and entrepreneurs. But designers and research enthusiasts can also be benefited from it.

The book, as the author tells, is written based on the interview he had conducted with 200+ startup founders, product managers, and venture capitalists. Each chapter is a question that every product manager/ startup owner needs to ask themselves before plunging into the development part.

The most important thing about user research is finding the right set of people. The effectiveness of the process completely depends on this. And, the author has written an entire chapter dedicated to this topic, where he elaborates on tips and techniques for recruiting apt people. 

The book walks you through various methods of doing user research. For example, here’s what he advises about one of the methods—  survey,

“ …a survey is probably the hardest research technique to do right, and I don’t encourage you to do it. Running a proper survey is a science that requires expertise. It’s very easy to ask very wrong questions in a survey and gather biased, misleading ‘data’. ” 

It also explains how to make use of this research in the different phases of product development. With attention to detail, the book has provided greater insights to the readers. 

It is written such that, you can read it dipping into any chapter at any time making it a great reference book.

The UX research process isn’t often obvious to the outside world, but it forms the base of the UX design process . 

The ultimate aim of UX is to make the product design empathetic to its users. This brings up a need to stand in their shoes and seek their problems through their eyes. This is where UX research comes into the picture.

So, you need to be conscious of the quality of your UX research process. You need to constantly strive for improvement.

These ux resources help you achieve both. They bring you the wisdom gained through the years of experience from the experts themselves. Do you know what’s more exciting? The fact that you can acquire that knowledge gathered for a number of years, in a matter of a few days or months. All you need to do is sit and flip through the pages.

The above-mentioned list covers books for experience of all ranges—  beginner or expert. 

No matter wherever you are in the journey, as you finish these books, you will know what it takes to become a better UX researcher and understand the fundamentals of creating a great UI/UX. Isn’t that all you need?

Nandhini Narayanan

A content writer who loves to explore and write about the digital product space. Constantly attempts to read between lines and live in words.

Add comment

Cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

• ChatGPT: Elevating SaaS Business in 6 Epic Ways

The topic of artificial intelligence has dominated business discussions in recent years. And the introduction of ChatGPT added fuel to the fire of fear ignited by the advent of AI. However, the truth is far from...

• Top 7 Strategies to build loyal audience for your SaaS Product

Think about buying a new mobile, you’ll first and most probably check the latest model of the brand that you already own. In a few cases, there is a high possibility of family members owning a mobile from the same...

• Top 5 Effective Crowdfunding Tips for Entrepreneurs

Every entrepreneur has a dream business idea that he/she hasn’t started because of many circumstances. One such major cause that stops an entrepreneur from doing business is the lack of financial support. Capital...

Recent Posts

• Short Guide for Website Redesign
• Top 7 Books Every Product Owner Should Read
• Digital Transformation
• Entrepreneurship
• Product Design
• Product Development
• Product Management
• Product Strategy

• Our Approach

8 Essential Books on UX Research

bestfolios.com

By bestfolios.com — collecting the best designer portfolio websites, resumes and design resources.

1. Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research

by Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky, and Andrea Moed

Link: https://amzn.to/342Byms

2. Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights

by Steve Portigal

Link: https://amzn.to/2sZSZHN

3. Research Design: Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, Arts-Based, and Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches

By Patricia Leavy

Link: https://amzn.to/2PtWrSF

4. The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide

By Leah Buley

Link: https://amzn.to/2Lyf9qM

5. Think Like a UX Researcher

by David Travis

Link: https://amzn.to/2LxKOsI

6. The User’s Journey: Storymapping Products That People Love

By Donna Lichaw

Link: https://amzn.to/38kIwH9

7. Measuring the User Experience: Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics (Interactive Technologies)

By Albert Williams and Thomas Tullis

Link: https://amzn.to/2LzOoSO

8. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests

Link: https://amzn.to/38dyYO5

Thanks for reading!

As an Amazon Associate, Bestfolios earn a small percent from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support:)

Written by bestfolios.com

Bestfolios is a gallery featuring the best portfolios and resumes from top UI/UX designers, graphic designers and motion designers.

Text to speech

Top 5 UX Research Books for 2024

Staying ahead of the curve is the recipe for UX design success. One of the best ways to do discover key ingredients is by diving into the existing wealth of knowledge found in UX research books. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to refine your methodology or a newcomer eager to learn the ropes, the right resources can transform your understanding and practice of UX research. In this article, we’ll explore the best UX research books and resources that are essential reads for anyone looking to excel in UX design in 2024.

The 5 Best UX Research Books for 2024

A quick point before we dive into the list: Userbrain has not been paid to promote any of these books. The following list simply contains some, but not all, of our favorite UX research books here at Userbrain HQ. We truly hope it’s helpful!

Book 1. “User Experience Design: An Introduction to Creating Interactive Digital Spaces” by Mark Wells

Mark Wells presents a foundational masterpiece in “ User Experience Design ,” guiding readers through the intricate process of crafting engaging digital environments.

This book serves as an invaluable resource for designers and creatives eager to master the art of digital user experience design. Wells expertly navigates through essential stages such as data collection, user analysis, testing, and prototyping , ensuring readers are well-equipped to create seamless designs for varied devices and platforms.

With visual examples and global case studies, this book is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to excel in the digital design arena.

Book 2. “Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value” by Teresa Torres

Teresa Torres’ “ Continuous Discovery Habits ” is a revolutionary guide that bridges the gap between creating products that resonate with customers and achieving tangible business outcomes.

Praised by industry leaders like Marty Cagan, this book introduces a structured approach to continuous discovery, empowering readers to act confidently while remaining open to learning from their mistakes.

Torres combines scientific research, real case studies, and her extensive experience to provide practical advice that’s easy to implement. This book is a beacon for product managers and designers seeking to foster a culture of continuous discovery within their teams.

Book 3. “The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide” by Leah Buley

Leah Buley’s “ The User Experience Team of One ” is a survival guide for UX designers navigating the challenges of limited resources and time constraints.

This book is an ode to the resilience and creativity of solo UX practitioners or small teams striving to make a significant impact.

Buley offers a plethora of approaches that are both efficient and effective, from initiating a UX program to gaining organizational support and implementing UX strategies.

Her book is a testament to doing more with less, providing readers with the tools and insights needed to excel as a UX team of one.

Book 4. “Just Enough Research” by Erika Hall

Erika Hall’s “ Just Enough Research ” demystifies the concept that design research is a daunting, time-consuming task only accessible to experts.

Hall, co-founder of Mule Design, presents a compelling argument for integrating research into every stage of the design process.

This book serves as a practical guide, offering a concise overview of research methods that are both accessible and immediately applicable, regardless of your project’s scale or budget constraints.

The second edition brings updated examples and a new chapter on surveys, ensuring readers are equipped with the latest insights and techniques for conducting effective research.

Hall’s emphasis on critical questioning and bias identification makes this book an indispensable resource for creating designs that genuinely meet user needs.

Book 5. “Think Like a UX Researcher” by David Travis and Philip Hodgson

David Travis and Philip Hodgson’s “ Think Like a UX Researcher ” challenges readers to broaden their understanding of UX research beyond conventional methodologies.

This book encourages a strategic approach to product design, focusing on optimizing the user experience at every touchpoint.

It is packed with tools, techniques, and insights that cater to a wide range of professionals from UX researchers to business analysts.

Travis and Hodgson offer a fresh perspective on data analysis, persuading teams to act on research findings and fostering a career in UX.

Their approach to dissecting the quantitative vs. qualitative dichotomy into attitudinal vs. behavioral data provides a robust framework for evaluating evidence strength.

This book is a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice for both novices and seasoned practitioners looking to enhance their UX research skills.

Wrapping Up: The Top 5 UX Research Books for 2024

Each of these five books offers a unique lens through which to view the complex, multifaceted world of UX research. From practical guides to thought-provoking analyses, these resources are designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the challenges of user experience design.

Whether you’re looking to build a solid foundation in UX principles, refine your research methodologies, or inspire your team with innovative approaches, these books are invaluable companions on your journey to becoming a more effective UX professional.

Happy reading!

Your next step – start researching!

Untitled UI PRO

Untitled ui free, untitled ui icons.

How to Create Data Tables in Figma

Ultimate Guide to Color Palettes in Figma

Top 14 Books to Learn UX Design in 2024

21 Best Books for UI Design (2024)

14 Best PAID Icon Sets for UI Design in 2024

How to Improve Your UI Design Skills

What is a Design System? (2024 guide)

9 Best FREE Figma Courses (2024)

13 Best Figma Courses (2024 edition)

How Much Do Product Designers Make?

How Much Do UX Designers Make?

What is a UI Kit? Examples and Why You Should Use One

29 Best Figma UI Kits and Design Systems

28 Best Free Fonts for Modern UI Design

22 Best FREE Icon Sets for UI Design in 2024

The 14 best books to learn ux design in 2024.

User experience design (UX design) may feel like a new and exciting field, but many of the UX design concepts and design principles we know today have been around since the late 1940s when Toyota developed its famous human-centered production system .

Traditionally, UX design has focused on the interaction between human users, machines, and contextual environments. Since the 1990s, UX design has evolved to help us understand user behavior for digital user interfaces such as computers and devices.

After decades of user research, we like to think we have a pretty good understanding of user behavior guided by key user experience design principles and best practices. As a designer, developing a deeper understanding of these UX design principles will help you design better products and websites that are not only easier to use but more effective at guiding users.

Good UX design is a competitive advantage

Have you ever used an app, website, or online form and been frustrated with the user experience? Maybe certain parts didn't behave as you expected and we unintuitive. That's bad UX design. Contrarily, when you use an app or website with good UX design, you likely don't even realize. Good UX design is intuitive and invisible because it's in tune with human behavior.

Many people won't consciously think about the overall user experience, but bad UX will hurt your brand and product. As more and more companies realize this, it's more important than ever to invest in UX design, user research, and usability testing.

Good user experience design is a competitive advantage:

• Positive user satisfaction : When users have a positive experience, they are more likely to return, churn less, spend more money, and refer others.
• Improved user loyalty : Good UX design fosters product loyalty. There are likely products you use every day because they have incredible user experience design, even if they are more expensive than competitors. For me, Superhuman , Linear , and Webflow come to mind.
• Higher conversion rates : Good UX design and UI design create a seamless user flow which will almost certainly boost conversion rates. There are countless examples like this one where small changes to user experience design can drastically increase conversion rates.
• Reduced support costs : Good UX design can reduce the need for customer support and troubleshooting. This is a good idea because when the user experience is intuitive, users are less likely to encounter issues and contact support.
• Better brand perception and trust : While this is harder to quantify, businesses can drastically improve their brand image and perception over the long term by focusing on good design and user experience design best practices. In my opinion, this is one of the highest-leverage things a business can do to build a competitive advantage.

Good UX design is a competitive advantage because it lifts every aspect of the business and user experience while saving costs in the long run. A lot of businesses and user experience teams don't realise that prioritizing user experience design is not just a matter of aesthetics; it's a strategic decision.

The UX design industry changes fast but human behavior changes slowly

The field of user experience (UX) design has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years and continues to grow rapidly. More and more businesses are focusing on improving web usability and the user experience of their websites, mobile apps, and products.

10 years ago, UX designers were only just beginning to focus on user research, usability testing, design thinking for responsive/adaptive design and mobile-first approaches. Today, UX design is already looking forward to exciting technologies like augmented reality, 3D, and cross-platform design.

If that sounds overwhelming, don't worry! The UX design industry changes rapidly, but core user design principles and UX best practices remain relatively the same. A solid understanding of human behavior, psychology, and UX design process is always a good idea and will prove invaluable for your career.

Classic UX design books like Don Norman 's The Design of Everyday Things , Jeff Johnson 's Designing with the Mind in Mind , and Steve Krug 's Don't Make Me Think are usually just as relevant today for user experience design as when they were published.

The best books on UX design

Whether you're completely new to the field of user experience design or a UI designer or product manager looking to improve your UX design skills, it's never been easier to learn UX design best practices with thousands of online resources and UX design books.

UX writing isn't always the most exciting subject and it's easy to get overwhelmed by the huge amount of books to read on user experience design. We've focused on the best UX design books that not only cover the theory behind UX design principles and the UX design process but also offer practical advice you can use in your designs today.

Here’s our list of the best books to learn UX design in 2024:

1. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

Written by UX consultant and web usability expert Steve Krug , the first edition of Don’t Make Me Think was published back in 2000.

The third edition of Don’t Make Me Think was released by Steve Krug in 2013 and included updated illustrations and a new chapter covering mobile user experience and usability.

Even though it was written more than 20 years ago, Don’t Make Me Think has become one of the most recommended books on user experience design because it is short, well-illustrated, and, most importantly, enjoyable to read! It focuses specifically on web usability, with practical tips and best practices for good design. It's still the #1 Best Seller in User Experience & Website Usability on Amazon.

Many of the best practices and design principles in Don’t Make Me Think may sound like common sense, but you'd be surprised how often they are overlooked by even experienced designers. Don’t Make Me Think is still one of the best books to introduce people to UX design and we recommend it to UI UX designers regularly.

“As a rule, people don’t like to puzzle over how to do things. The fact that the people who built the site didn’t care enough to make things obvious–and easy—can erode confidence in the site and its publishers.”

2. Introduction to Design Thinking for UX Beginners by Uijun Park

Introduction to Design Thinking for UX Beginners by Uijun Park was published in 2023, making it one of the newest UX design books on this list. We've added it because it's a perfect introduction to the field of UX design.

With over 13 years of experience in UX design, Uijun Park has written a concise, entertaining, modern, and practical guide book on user behavior/user experience design best practices, UX design thinking, information architecture, and user research.

Unlike many of the older UX design books on this list, Introduction to Design Thinking for UX Beginners includes up-to-date examples and case studies. We particularly loved the statistics and trends analysis included in this book. Even if you're an experienced designer, there are valuable insights about the future of user experience design.

If you're new to UX design or an experienced UI UX designer looking to brush up on your UX design skills and UX design process, this book is a good idea and covers pretty much everything you need.

3. Hooked by Nir Eyal & Ryan Hoover

How many times per day do you reach for your phone to open X (Twitter), Instagram, or any another app for that matter? Chances are you're often doing this subconsciously — this is the power of habit-forming products, and it's a powerful and scary development in the world of user experience design.

Hooked is written by Israeli-born bestselling author Nir Eyal with a contribution from Ryan Hoover . Hooked synthesizes Eyal’s expertise gleaned through many years studying human psychology and UX research. This book highlights the importance of psychology in product design and user experience design in products and services we can't seem to live without.

Why was the Apple iPhone the most profitable product in history ? How did TikTok become one of the biggest and fastest-growing apps in the world in a short period of time? Hooked explores how product teams can use variable rewards to make us form powerful habits, even without us realising.

Eyal presents a four-phase framework for building habit-forming products, called The Hook Model , providing practical advice and best practices on how to develop user behavior that develops into habitual behavior. We're more addicted to our screens than ever before, so it's understandable that many consider this to be the dark side of user experience design. Ethical considerations aside, understanding what drives habit-forming products is an important part of working as a UX designer today.

Hooked is an essential book to read if you're in the business of creating digital products or services, whether you're a UX designer, UX researcher, product designer, or product manager.

4. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk

Written by behavioral scientist and UX consultant Susan Weinschenk, 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People shares 100 insights on human behavior to help you design better products and improve your UX design skills. It mixes psychology and UX research with real-life examples to help you understand your users on a deeper level.

We love 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People because it's the perfect balance between UX design and psychology, with practical advice and best practices to improve user experience.

This book is a practical guide on how to increase the productivity, conversion rates, and accessibility of your product design by answering questions like:

• What grabs and holds attention on a page or screen?
• How do you motivate people to continue on to the next step?
• How can you foresee what kinds of mistakes someone will end up making?

Originally published in 2011, 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People still serves as an incredibly useful and practical guide for any UX designers, UI designers, or product managers looking to better understand the psychology behind creating great user experience design.

People are very willing to click multiple times. In fact, they won’t even notice they’re clicking if they’re getting the right amount of information at each click to keep them going down the path. Think progressive disclosure; don’t count clicks.

5. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

The Design of Everyday Things is another of the most recommended books on UX design. Don Norman actually coined the term “user experience” in the original 1988 version of this book!

The Design of Everyday Things was republished in 2013 and to include updated best practices and examples of user experience design principles in action. The 2013 edition is 370 pages long and a brand-new introductory chapter written by the author.

This book focuses on the way design affects our daily lives and how we, as users, interact with the products we user and the physical world we inhabit. There is great user experience design and creative problem-solving behind the most (seemingly) boring objects.

You won't find much on web usability or user interface design in this book. Instead, The Design of Everyday Things is a deep dive into human behavior, psychology, ergonomics, and research. The key takeaway from this UX design book is that all design should be user-centered at it's core.

Whether you’re a designer or not, The Design of Everyday Things will help you understand and appreciate the design of the world around you. You'll never look at a door the same way again!

“Appearances are only part of the story: usability and understandability are more important, for if a product can’t be used easily and safely, how valuable is its attractiveness?”

6. Laws of UX: Design Principles for Persuasive and Ethical Products by Jon Yablonski

Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski is a practical guide on UX, specifically, how user experience teams can apply key principles in psychology to design better user experiences that are more intuitive. What more could you want in a UX design book?

Understanding the psychology behind how users behave and interact with digital interfaces is perhaps the single most valuable non-design skill you can develop. Laws of UX explores ten key principles based on user behavioral economics studies and UX research, with clear examples and best practices from each.

These key principles (or "laws") are easy to understand and the book is written concisely. Yablonski provides practical advice on:

• How aesthetically pleasing design creates positive responses
• The principles from psychology most useful for designers
• How these psychology principles relate to UX heuristics
• Predictive models including Fitts’s law, Jakob’s law, and Hick’s law
• Ethical implications of using psychology in design
• A framework for applying these principles

Laws of UX is a good idea to pick up, even if you're an experienced UI UX designer or UX researcher. It's well-researched and presents familiar UX research in a digestible and easy-to-understand format.

7. UI is Communication by Everett N. McKay

UI is Communication is a 378-page book written by Vermont-based author and UX Design Edge's principal, Everett N. McKay. The book was initially released in 2013 and is a perfect read for UX designers, product designers and researchers. We also featured this book on our list of the best books for UI design.

This is one of the best books to read on UX design because it focuses on the relationship between target audiences and product design and how you, as a designer, can design with the user in mind. It's a valuable book that you’ll probably re-read a few times over your career.

Unlike much UX writing who focus only on the theoretical side of user experience design, usability testing, and user research, McKay includes practical advice and examples that help you understand UX design principles more thoroughly.

“If your product solves real problems, has a simple, intuitive interaction and an appealing, easy-to-read visual design, yet people aren’t using it, chances are your product is failing to communicate at a human level.”

8. Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell

William Lidwell, a Houston-based researcher and university professor, published Universal Principles of Design back in 2003. Despite being 20 years old, Universal Principles of Design is still one of the most recommended books on UX design because it focuses on core design principles that create good user experience.

You've probably heard of the “80/20 Rule”, “Ockham’s Razor”, “Self-Similarity”, "Information Architecture, and “Storytelling” in design. Universal Principles of Design explores these concepts in UX design through the lens of human psychology, with plenty of case studies to help you develop a deeper understanding behind the design principles in this book.

Universal Principles of Design is also featured on our list of the the best books for UI design. It's become an invaluable cross-disciplinary reference for both UX design and UI design best practices.

9. About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design was one of the books that shaped and evolved the landscape of interaction design. We also featured this book on our list of the best books for UI design.

Written in 2014 by Alan Cooper , Robert Reimann , David Cronin , and Christopher Noessel , About Face is a solid foundational read on user experience design fundamentals, how users interact with screens, and how businesses can optimize this experience.

Some of the design best practices may be a little out of date today, but About Face is still a wealth of information for user experience best practices in design.

10. Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden

Lean UX was originally published in 2013 by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden. The third edition of this UX design book was published in 2021 and covers lean principles, tactics and techniques to incorporate UX design into agile product development teams.

If you're unfamiliar with agile product development and lean principles, it refers to a methodology of software development based on the Agile Manifesto . "Agile" product teams build products in short iterations with a faster continuous feedback loop.

One of the biggest criticisms of agile-focused teams is that they can easily lose sight of the user needs and the entire product user experience while building new features as fast as possible. I've seen it happen in companies I've worked at and it is a frustrating experience. Lean UX was written to help UX designers, product designers, software developers and product managers focus on the entire user experience rather than just deliverables.

11. Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems by Steve Krug

Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug was published in 2009 and is a friendly and useful guide to identifying and fixing common web usability issues. Think of it as a practical companion and sequel to the hugely popular Don’t Make Me Think by the same author, which was published in 2000.

While some of the examples in Rocket Surgery Made Easy may be a little dated now, it's still one of the best books on web usability, information architecture, and user experience optimization, with valuable insights. Krug's UX writing style is great at explaining user experience concepts in Layman's terms — it's accessible, easy-to-read, and does a good job of demystifying the entire user experience design process.

“Yes, there are things you can learn only by watching a target audience use the site. But there are many things you can learn by watching almost anyone use it. When you begin doing usability testing, your site will probably contain a lot of serious problems that “almost anybody” will encounter, so you can recruit much more loosely in the beginning.” – Steve Krug, Rocket Surgery Made Easy

12. Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda

This is a bit of an unusual addition to this list of the best UX design books, but an important one. Many people may not know who Ken Kocienda is, but he played an integral part in Apple's success. Hundreds of millions of people use Apple products every day. Apple's processes are worth studying—they've created some of the most profitable products of all time .

Ken Kocienda worked at Apple for nearly fifteen years, experimenting with unique user interface ideas and concepts, and has developed user-friendly and easy-to-use software software for the Safari web browser, the iPhone, and the iPad.

Creative Selection was published in 2018 and tells the remarkable insider’s story that reveals how Apple's user experience design team utilised a Darwinian approach to user research, ideation and creativity. The sheer craft, diligence, empathy, and user research that goes into designing great Apple products is mind-blowing. We have Creative Selection on our list of best UX books because it will inspire you to think differently about your design process.

13. Designing with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson

Designing with the Mind in Mind was originally published in 2014 by Jeff Johnson and has become an everlasting textbook on the concepts of perceptual and cognitive psychology in user experience design. The third edition was published in 2020.

If you're wondering what "perceptual and cognitive psychology" is, don't worry! This book is essentially about the psychology behind the user interface design principles and rules that we know today. Early UI designers were trained in cognitive psychology — the science behind how users behave and make decisions — but somewhere along the way, the UI design industry has moved onto established "rules".

Jeff Johnson wrote Designing with the Mind in Mind to help the next generation(s) of users understand the cognitive psychology behind these rules so they can apply them more effectively and thoughtfully in UX design.

14. Strangers to Ourselves by Timothy D. Wilson

Turns out we know very little about the brain and can't decipher our most basic human motivation levers and decision-making models most of the time. Strangers to Ourselves was written by Social Psychology Professor, Timothy D. Wilson , and explores the idea of the unconscious and the role it plays in human behavior.

Strangers to Ourselves isn't a book about user experience design, but a deep dive into human psychology and how we think. At the core of great UX design is a deeper understanding of user behavior and psychology and this can influence design.

Strangers to Ourselves is a fascinating read, even if you're not a UX designer. It draws on years of psychology research to uncover invaluable insights into human psychology. It will change the way you think about user experience design and what drives human behavior.

What about UI design books?

We've written this guide to focus specifically on books that are focused on learning UX design. If you're looking to level up your UI design and product design skills, we've written a separate guide specifically on the best books for modern UI design.

Find any other useful UX design books? 

There are hundreds of UX design books being released every year. We've picked out the best of the best and regularly update this post.

If you come across any other useful books for UX design that should included on this list, let us know ! We'd love to check it out.

Learning Figma?

We hope you find this list of some of the best UI design books helpful. Regardless if you're new to UI UX design or a professional product designer, there's always room to learn and improve your design process and design skills.

If you're learning UI design and Figma, we've also recently updated our lists of the best Figma courses for 2024 . Learning on a budget? We also have a post on the best Figma courses that are 100% free . Check them out!

Untitled UI blog

More design resources and tutorials.

Untitled is the best $129 I've spent on my business in a long time. I'm going to keep using it and recommending it to every designer I know.

Over the years we've featured hundreds of UI kits on UXCrush, but Untitled UI is by far the most comprehensive and detailed I've seen yet. A must have for any designer!

I've used all UI kits on the market. I can say without a doubt that the Untitled UI kit is the best on the market. It covers everything a designer needs in a modern and efficient way.

Incredible, and keeps getting better. I’ve tried dozens of UI kits and Untitled UI is the only name you should care about. It stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Such a beautiful, detailed, and extensive UI kit. Untitled UI is the perfect foundation for any project. I highly recommend this huge time saver.

Untitled UI has been an amazing resource that I'm learning to rely upon to spin up ideas in no time. I think I might launch a startup pretty soon by mistake here!

The sheer scale, details, and organization of this kit is mind-blowing. It covers nearly everything a Designer could need in a modern, efficient and systematic way.

I'm super impressed with this. I love poking around in other peoples UI Kits to see how they think. This is probably one of the most comprehensive I've seen.

I'm super excited to use this for quick mockups of ideas in Figma. We're always trying to streamline our design process so we can move fast! Definitely recommend.

Untitled UI is easily the best UI kit I've used so far. It has an insane amount of components that are all incredibly well-built. I don't even know how many hours this will save.

The attention to detail and thought Jordan has put into this UI kit is unparalleled.

Untitled UI is incredibly well-organized and the attention to detail is great. I highly recommend this kit to any designer that wants to create beautiful designs fast.

What an awesome Figma kit... it's an absolute game changer. This is the perfect base for any design system. The size and attention to detail is next level.

We've been using Untitled to build Himalayas 2.0 and have finished a complete redesign in just a few days. It has everything we need already pixel-perfect.

Join our affiliate program

• Best UI/UX Design Bootcamps

5 Best UI/UX Design Bootcamps Of 2024

Updated: Feb 6, 2024, 4:59am

Tech companies rely on UX and UI designers to create accessible, aesthetic and user-friendly web interfaces. UI/UX design bootcamps offer a fast track to these in-demand tech careers.

Focused on user experience, UX bootcamps offer immersive training in design thinking, user research and design technologies. As a UX bootcamp student, you’ll learn how to create a user persona, conduct interviews and create design prototypes. You can expect to leave the bootcamp with a professional portfolio showcasing your designs for prospective employers.

If you’re interested in UI, UX or product design bootcamps, you have dozens of options to choose from. But which bootcamps offer the best preparation and support to help you launch your UX/UI design career?

Our ranking explores the five best UX bootcamps, determined based on a stringent methodology.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We scored 17 online UX bootcamps in the U.S. using 14 data points in the categories of career support, credibility, affordability and student experience. We pulled data for these categories from individual bootcamp providers. Data is accurate as of November 2023.

We scored bootcamps based on the following metrics:

Career Support

• Access to career coaching or mentorship
• Availability of job guarantee
• Official hiring partners

Credibility

• Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) membership status
• Student outcomes data transparency
• Pricing transparency
• Length of time provider has been operating

Affordability

• Upfront cost per week
• Availability of installment payment plan
• Availability of delayed payment plan
• Accepts GI Bill® or VET TEC program

Student Experience

• Average time to completion (in hours)
• Scheduling flexibility

We chose the five best bootcamps to display based on those receiving a curved final score of 90% or higher.

For the purpose of our rankings, we do not evaluate bootcamps offered through universities. Find our full list of methodologies here .

• Best Coding Bootcamps Online
• Best Data Science Bootcamps
• Best Java Bootcamps
• Best Online Data Analytics Bootcamps

Best UX Design Bootcamps

What does a ui/ux bootcamp entail, ui/ux career paths and highest-paying jobs, online ui/ux bootcamp credibility, how to find the right online ux design bootcamp for you, paying for an online ux bootcamp, frequently asked questions (faqs) about online ui/ux design bootcamps, designlab ux academy, careerfoundry ux design program, flatiron school ux/ui product design bootcamp, thinkful ux/ui design bootcamp, springboard ux design bootcamp, best for students on a budget.

Total Upfront Cost

Job Guarantee

Official Hiring Partners

Shopify, Target, Adidas, Salesforce, Facebook

Build a customized, stand-out portfolio in Designlab’s UX Academy. Each student crafts two responsive webpages, an end-to-end mobile app and a feature-based design to showcase their range and skills.

During the bootcamp, learners participate in one-on-one video calls with design mentors. Career support also helps graduates land a job. Personalized feedback and guidance, plus group critique sessions, strengthen constructive design skills. Designlab reports a median graduation-to-hire time of 14 weeks.

• Time Commitment: 15 to 30 weeks, 20 to 40 hours per week
• Bootcamp Enrollment Options: Part-time, full-time
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: User research, interaction design, user interface design
• Prerequisites: UX Academy Foundations (for those new to design)
• Finance Options: Installment plan, loans
• Scholarships Available: Diversify Design

Best for flexibility

Netflix, PayPal, Google, eBay, Amazon

Explore user-centric design thinking in the UX design program at CareerFoundry . This relatively affordable bootcamp mentors learners through every assignment and project review. Students customize their learning experience by choosing a specialization in UI for UX designers, front-end development for designers or voice user interface design.

CareerFoundry incorporates a job preparation course that includes partner apprenticeships, career coaching and external work experience placements. The flexible program offers start dates every two weeks.

• Time Commitment: 30 to 40 hours per week for five months (full-time); 15 to 20 hours per week for up to 10 months (part-time)
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: Usability testing, competitive analysis, visual design principles
• Prerequisites: N/A
• Finance Options: Installment plan, deferred tuition, loans
• Scholarships Available: N/A

Best for graduating quickly

Intel, Spotify, Kickstarter, Microsoft, New York Times

Finish a UX/UI product design bootcamp in as little as 15 weeks at Flatiron School . Learners in this program explore design technologies and problem-solving techniques. They can choose from synchronous learning with a cohort or self-paced, pre-recorded lessons.

The bootcamp offers student advisors, technical coaches and career coaches to keep learners on track, providing 180 days of one-on-one career coaching after completing the bootcamp. Flatiron’s employer partnerships can also help graduates find jobs in tech.

• Time Commitment: 15 to 40 weeks
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: UX process, UI process
• Finance Options: Loans
• Scholarships Available: Access Scholarship, Merit Scholarship, Women Take Tech

Best for product design

Google, Webflow, IBM, Amazon, Walmart Labs

The Thinkful UX/UI design bootcamp uses a part-time, six-month format that builds job-ready skills. With a focus on product design, the program emphasizes wireframe prototyping, user research and interactive design.

Students match with a personal mentor to gain real-world career experience. The program incorporates live video consultations, on-demand technical coaching and live chats with experts. Learners also receive detailed feedback and reviews on their portfolio projects. Thinkful also offers exclusive access to open UX/UI design and product design roles.

• Time Commitment: Six months at 20 to 25 hours per week
• Bootcamp Enrollment Options: Part-time
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: UX research, databases and SQL, web design and visual design
• Finance Options: Installment plan, deferred tuition

Best for career-switchers

J.P. Morgan, Boeing, Amazon, Verizon, Oracle

The project-based curriculum in Springboard ’s UX design bootcamp builds and tests industry-specific skills. Designed for learners with some experience in user research and visual content, the bootcamp incorporates multiple projects to build an interview-ready portfolio. Students also complete a four-week remote externship with a startup to gain experience.

Springboard offers a job guarantee. Qualifying learners will receive a refund on their tuition if they do not get a qualifying job offer within an allotted time after graduation.

• Time Commitment: Six months at 15 to 20 hours per week
• Notable Bootcamp Courses: Design thinking, information architecture, user interface design
• Prerequisites: One year of professional experience in visual content, digital products or understanding users
• Finance Options: Installment plan, deferred tuition, financed tuition loan
• Scholarships Available: Women In Technology Scholarship, Diversity In Tech Scholarship, Career Reboot Scholarship

A UI/UX design bootcamp prepares graduates to begin tech careers. Learners explore user research, information architecture and user-centered design processes.

Most UX bootcamps begin with an introduction to UX and UI design, followed by project-based assignments that may include user interviews, wireframes, usability tests and a completed project. Students also learn how to use industry-specific software, including Figma, Adobe XD and Sketch.

By graduation, learners have a UX/UI design portfolio that showcases their knowledge and skills. Many bootcamps also incorporate job-focused components such as mock interviews and career coaching.

After completing a UI/UX design bootcamp, you’ll qualify to work as a UX designer, product designer or UI designer. You can also pursue opportunities in related fields like web design and graphic design .

Common UI/UX career paths include:

• UX designer
• UI designer
• Product designer
• UX strategist
• UX architect
• Web designer
• UX researcher

Bootcamps generally prepare graduates for entry-level or mid-level roles, depending on their level of experience. Some career paths require additional work experience in addition to a bootcamp.

While degree-granting colleges and universities must undergo a rigorous accreditation process to demonstrate quality and value, online bootcamps operate under fewer regulations. You’ll need to do your research to ensure you attend a worthwhile UX design bootcamp.

Independent resources like the Council on Integrity in Reporting Results , which collects data on student outcomes, can help you find a credible bootcamp. It’s also a good idea to be aware of deceptive practices that bootcamps use in advertising, such as including non-tech or part-time jobs in job placement statistics.

Forbes Advisor’s ranking methodology rewards bootcamp providers that report to CIRR and publish transparent data on pricing and student outcomes.

Tech bootcamps are a booming business. Currently, around 60 companies offer more than 300 bootcamps in the U.S. , according to data collected by Forbes Advisor. And the bootcamp industry can be volatile, with new bootcamps launching every year.

So how can you find the right UX design bootcamp for you? By considering your goals, schedule and budget, you can find the best fit.

What Are Your Career Goals?

If you want to break into tech, a UX design bootcamp might be a good option. Most bootcamps take three to six months and offer career services to help you find a job. Before applying, research job placement support and the graduate placement record to find a bootcamp that matches your career goals.

What’s Your Availability?

Are you working full time? Or do you want to accelerate your bootcamp? You can find a UX design bootcamp that fits your schedule, but be realistic about the time commitment.

The fastest bootcamps take around three months, but typically, students should expect to commit 40 to 50 hours per week to their programs. Part-time options, which take six to 10 months, appeal to working students, but you’ll still need 15 to 20 hours per week for your bootcamp.

What’s Your Budget?

Consider your budget when researching UX bootcamps. The cost of a bootcamp depends on the bootcamp and the payment option. In general, if you can afford to pay the full cost upfront, you’ll save money in the long run.

Upfront tuition for tech bootcamps costs a median of $8,300, according to Forbes Advisor research. While that’s generally less than a full college degree, it’s still a large investment for many students––and some UX bootcamps cost significantly more than average.

To make things easier, you have several options when it comes to paying for an online bootcamp.

How Much Is a UI/UX Bootcamp?

The cost of a UI/UX bootcamp varies widely, with the cost of programs reviewed by Forbes Advisor ranging from around $7,000 on the low end to over $17,000 on the high end.

Students have several options when it comes to paying for bootcamps. However, bootcamps generally do not qualify for federal student loans.

Upfront Payment

Upfront payment usually comes with the lowest overall price. But you’ll need to pay the total cost in one lump sum, which can be difficult for many students.

Pay in Installments

Most coding bootcamps offer installment plans that let you pay over time. During a three-month bootcamp, for example, you might make three monthly payments. While this option typically costs more overall than paying upfront, it can be more manageable for some students on a budget.

Income Share Agreement

Instead of paying tuition while attending a bootcamp, an income share agreement (ISA) requires you to pay a percentage of your earnings to your bootcamp provider after you graduate.

While paying later may seem like a good deal, income share agreements often end up costing significantly more than paying upfront. Plus, ISAs are generally unregulated, making them a relatively risky option.

Several bootcamps offer job guarantees , which provide tuition refunds to graduates who do not receive qualifying job offers within six to 12 months after graduating.

Keep in mind that you may need to pay tuition upfront for the job guarantee to apply, and you might need to meet stringent requirements to qualify for a refund. For example, you may need to apply to 20 or more jobs each week.

Loans, Scholarships and Other Aid

While you can’t take out federal student loans to pay for a bootcamp, several providers partner with lenders to offer private loans. Some bootcamps also offer scholarships. Before applying to any bootcamps, research your scholarship and financial aid options.

Are UX design bootcamps worth it?

UX design bootcamps can pay off, but the value of any bootcamp depends on the provider and your goals. After completing a bootcamp, you’ll qualify for many UX design jobs. However, before applying to a bootcamp, research its total cost and job placement record.

Which bootcamp is best for UX design?

Forbes Advisor ranks the following UX bootcamps as the best for 2024: Designlabs, CareerFoundry, Flatiron School, Thinkful and Springboard. These bootcamps also follow the best practices for reporting student outcome data.

Can I learn UX in three months?

Yes, you can learn UX in as little as three months. Intensive, full-time UX bootcamps typically require 15 weeks. However, you’ll need to spend 40 to 50 hours per week studying user experience design.

Is UX in demand?

Yes, demand for UX designers remains high. Web and digital interface designers, a category that includes UX designers, will see 15% projected job growth from 2022 to 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s significantly faster than average.

Is UI/UX design high-paying?

UI/UX design can be a high-paying field. Web and digital interface designers earned a median pay of $83,240 in May 2022, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Genevieve Carlton holds a Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University and earned tenure at the University of Louisville. Drawing on over 15 years of experience in higher education, Genevieve provides practical, research-based advice on college degrees, career training and other higher education topics.