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.
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.
☎️ Book a 1:1 mentor meeting or let's connect on LinkedIn and Twitter .
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07 Oct 2024
UX research books
Discover the 15 must-read ux research books recommended by the lyssna community to design better user experiences and gain a deeper understanding of your users..
Meagan Philpot
Whether you go back to the foundational basics or keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry, continuously improving your UX research knowledge and expertise is crucial to enhancing and advancing your product.
By utilizing the appropriate resources, you can apply better concepts of UX research, design better user experiences, and understand users better.
With this in mind, we asked the Lyssna community to share their recommendations for UX research books that are a must-read to succeed in this space.
The 15 UX research books to add to your reading list
Whether you’re starting in UX research or looking to refresh your knowledge, we’ve compiled a list of 15 highly recommended books. These will help you build a solid foundation in user-centered design and research methodologies, as well as provide you with an invaluable resource for gaining insights into UX research and exploring other approaches to designing for your product.
1. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability , 3rd Edition| Steve Krug
In the latest edition of his best-selling book, Don't Make Me Think, usability expert Steve Krug offers a fresh perspective on the fundamentals of web and mobile design in terms of user-friendly navigation and information design. Krug's years of expertise as a usability consultant make his take on intuitive design principles far more authentic.
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited, is now updated with new examples and principles, plus a section on mobile usability. However, as articulated by the author, “the basic principles are the same even if the landscape has changed because usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about technology. And while technology often changes quickly, people change very slowly.”
Recommended by Endia Spencer, Freelance UX Designer, because “it gives you a deep understanding of UX design.”
“Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about the technology” - Steve Krug
Published 2013 | Buy this book
2. The Design of Everyday Things | Don Norman
As one of the most recommended books by our Lyssna panel, Don Norman’s book is a must-read for anyone with UX in their job title.
The Design of Everyday Things focuses on the role of design as a means of communication between the user and the object, providing insights on how to enhance this connection to ensure an enjoyable user experience. One of the key takeaways from reading this book is that users shouldn’t be held responsible when things malfunction – the fault often lies with inadequate intuitive guidance within the design itself.
Lyssna panelist, Bunyamin Kidir, recommended this book as it “broadened my horizon in terms of the design of everyday objects and human beings' perception. It is a valuable book for understanding the importance of user experience”.
“It's an accessible, informative primer on design principles and why they matter.” - Molly Hillstrom, UX Consultant .
Published 2013 | Buy this book
3. Just Enough Research | Erika Hall
Recommended by Python Certified Developer, Prapula Madala, Just Enough Research is “a nice introduction to different methods of user research, from the basics to process, competitive research, evaluative research, etc. She also added a chapter on surveys in the second edition.”
Prapula continues, “like most A Book Apart books, a lot of information is packed in this one. You will want to keep it close to your desk for future reference.” Just Enough Research offers practical methods that can be easily implemented by teams of any size and budget. For example, you’ll find valuable insights on identifying competitive advantages, recognizing blind spots and biases, interpreting and utilizing research findings, and the pitfalls of using focus groups. After reading this guidebook, you’ll be able to quickly master effective research techniques and start conducting quality research without delay.
2013 | Buy this book
4. The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide | Leah Buley
Leah Buley's book, The User Experience Team of One, provides readers with valuable tools and insights, equipping them to do more with less while succeeding in UX endeavors.
Prapula Madala also found this book to have great insights: “the book is split into two parts: philosophy (building principles, attitude, perspective) and practice (methods, techniques, tips, and tricks). The first part concentrates on helping you sell UX to the company. The second one presents different UX methods and tools to help you build user-centric products. Both parts are equally useful depending on where you work and where you are in your career.”
2013 | Buy this book
5. Inclusive Design for a Digital World: Designing with Accessibility in Mind | Regine Gilbert
This book highlights the importance of designing digital products to be accessible to as many different users as possible. A user experience design professor, Regine Gilbert covers a wide range of accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities and provides step-by-step solutions for creating inclusive designs.
Senior UX Designer of Expedia Group, Dani Perez, recommended this book. “It's the last book I've read and we had her in a workshop recently at work. I pick this one because every designer should always have an inclusive mindset when working on a digital product; solving problems for all users without exceptions will make the experience richer, stronger, and timeless,” he shared.
The book addresses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 requirements, emerging technologies like VR and AR, best practices for web development, and more. The author stresses by prioritizing accessibility and usability, designers can ensure that their digital products are inclusive and accessible to all.
2019 | Buy this book
6. Measuring the User Experience : Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Usability Metrics | Thomas Tullis and William Albert
According to UX Researcher Prince Seyram, Measuring the User Experience “explains in-depth about quantifying the user experience. Various innovative metrics are discussed in this book. It also presents the best form of ideas on collecting, analyzing and presenting the data.”
This book has proved to be an essential resource for usability and user experience professionals wanting to make a business case to stakeholders based on quantitative analysis.
In this second edition release, Tullis and Albert provide new material on how recent technologies have made it easier and more effective to collect a broader range of data about the user experience.
The book emphasizes the need for UX and web professionals to use solid, reliable data to justify their design decisions. It covers new metrics such as emotional engagement, personas, keystroke analysis, and net promoter score, as well as examining how new technologies from neuro-marketing and online market research can refine user experience measurement. 2013 | Buy this book
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7. Sprint : How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days | Jake Knapp
This book is your practical guide for answering critical business questions, helping the reader use UX research and structure it in a real work setting.
Author Jake Knapp created a five-day design sprint process during his time at Google, which has since been used successfully by companies in various sectors, including mobile, e-commerce, finance, and healthcare.
According to Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, “ Sprint offers a transformative formula for testing ideas that works whether you’re at a startup or a large organization. Within five days, you’ll move from idea to prototype to decision, saving you and your team countless hours and countless dollars. A must read for entrepreneurs of all stripes."
2016 | Buy this book
8. Speculative Everything : Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming | Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby
Brandon King, founder of the company Home Security Heroes , has been educating himself about UX research to help him communicate with UX designers on how to design for security. He found Speculative Everything a must-read.
“The book challenges readers to think more creatively about the role of design in shaping the future. Speculative Everything offers a broader perspective on design as a tool for exploring and addressing complex social and technological issues, including cybersecurity-related ones, making it a helpful resource for cybersecurity professionals studying UX research,” he shared.
The authors, Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, propose a different kind of design in their book – one that serves as a tool to generate not only things but ideas. Dunne and Raby draw on their own experiences in design and teaching, as well as examples from fields such as fine art, architecture, cinema, and photography.
9. The Elements of User Experience : User-Centered Design for the Web | Jesse James Garrett
“My favorite book about UX design and research is The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett. It's the book that literally got me into the profession so long ago,” shared Co-founder and CEO of Aurelius , Zach Naylor.
“I love it because it lays out a very clear framework and language for describing all the separate parts of an experience, as well as the tactics on how to create them. Ranging from usability to information architecture, interaction design and visual aesthetics – it clearly provides a framework to think about and communicate creating an awesome user experience.”
The Elements of User Experience provides a simple and clear guide to user-centered design for the web. Instead of focusing on specific tools or techniques, the book emphasizes key concepts with vivid illustrations.
This makes it a valuable read when creating a successful user experience.
2002 | Buy this book
10. User Experience Revolution | Paul Boag
User Experience Revolution is geared toward those who are enthusiastic about user experience but work for companies that require an extra nudge in the same direction.
“The book gives you step-by-step instructions on how to build a UX revolution and make users the center of your business, from understanding it and justifying its benefits to advocating for users, setting benchmarks, and more,” shared Mocca Bajao, Digital PR Specialist.
“If you are new to UX or want to expand your knowledge about UX, this book is a must-read.”
2017 | Buy this book
11. Think Like a UX Researcher : How to Observe Users, Influence Design and Shape Business Strategy | David Travis and Philip Hodgson
Think Like a UX Researcher aims to challenge preconceptions about UX research and encourage readers to explore beyond the obvious. This book provides the tools needed to plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, inspire teams to take action, and carve out a fulfilling career in UX.
The authors offer a range of thought-provoking ideas, exercises, scenarios, practical advice, and real-life examples to help readers become seasoned researchers. With these tools, you can tailor your research methods to fit the unique needs and challenges of your organization.
12. Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research | Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky, and Andrea Moed
Observing the User Experience is described as bridging the gap between “what digital companies think they know about their users and the actual user experience.”
This book is divided into three parts and covers a wide range of topics related to end-user research and its role in creating useful, desirable, and successful products. Part one explores the benefits of user research and its place in product development. Part two provides techniques for gaining insight into people's needs, desires, and abilities. Finally, part three delves into the communication and application of research findings, offering guidance on how to sell companies on the value of user-centered design and how it can boost efficiency and profitability.
2012 | Buy this book
13. Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights | Steve Portigal
This book is a classic and recommended reading for anyone who talks to users. It takes you through the do’s and don’ts of interviewing users, sharing specific interviewing techniques and tools that will change you from an interviewer that gathers data into someone who “ uncovers powerful insights about people.”
14. Lean UX : Designing Great Products With Agile Teams | Josh Seiden and Jeff Gothelf
Antonio Taylor, a web developer at Teki Design Group , recommended Lean UX as it “gives a deep dive into UX design and focuses on outcomes rather than output.”
This practical guide will help you discover that the heart of UX design is the user experience, not the deliverables. By prioritizing the needs of the user over documentation, a deeper understanding is gained of how to apply lean design practices and principles. These methods have been refined through the experiences of numerous successful startup companies, and based on the Lean Startup methodology developed by Eric Ries.
By applying these principles, you'll be able to improve the quality and productivity of your teams, and ultimately create products that deliver exceptional user experiences. Whether you're a UX designer, developer, or part of a startup company, this guide will equip you with the tools and strategies needed to succeed in today's competitive market.
“Lean UX is a book that changed how software is made forever… for the better. By showing product companies how to design with their customers and continuously improving as customers grow and change, Lean UX has enabled a new generation of products that not only look good but are good.” Christina Wodtke, Lecturer, Stanford Computer Science Department, and author of Radical Focus.
15. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People | Susan Weinschenk
Conversion rate optimization consultant Oliver Palmer recommended this last book as it “offers insights drawn from psychology that designers can use to make their work more effective and user-friendly.”
“A few examples include the power of storytelling to engage users emotionally, the significance of color psychology in influencing user behavior, and how understanding users' mental models can lead to more intuitive design interactions.”
“I love how this book takes impenetrable academic research out of the journals and presents it in a handy and accessible format that designers can apply in their work. It's very dense yet highly accessible, with each of the 100 insights explained simply and concisely.“
2020 | Buy this book
Final words
Continuous learning and refreshing your knowledge of both foundational and contemporary methodologies will benefit and enhance your quality of work. And although having a book to read is wonderful (and with 15 options to now choose from), there are also numerous additional resources available to help you broaden your knowledge. For instance, you can participate in UX community forums such as ResearchOps, read online articles, follow social media accounts, and explore the resource hubs and blogs of UX research businesses like Lyssna.
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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.
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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.
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