So many books, so little time — the problem of сhoice arises when you want to become better in product design by soaking in some wisdom books.
Blurbs are useless. They are written to make you buy every book, not to help you choose one. Listicles are better, but most of them are written by people who’ve read only blurbs.
I reached out to product designers I know personally (kudos to the Eleken tribe), and also product designers I don’t know personally (kudos to you, redditors). All my experts named the book that brightens their career path with its vivid vision, its practical tips, or its fire gags.
Thus, we have a living breathing list of best books to learn UI/UX design, no way ultimate, but 100% worth your attention.
And here we go.
1. The design of everyday things by Don Norman
There are many iconic design books, but Aleksandra, the UI/UX designer from Eleken, says all of them pale to utter insignificance in light of The Design of Everyday Things — it has a superpower to change people. Everyone who’s read it learns to love design. Sometimes a feeling is so intense that people become designers themselves.
Instead of splashing a thousand words, I’ll put here the story one Redditor shared with me:
The Design of Everyday Things is what got my cousin into the design, who is now in that career, and I’m in the middle of reading it. It’s given me a new perspective on how designers think and basic fundamentals, definitely something worth reading!
u/WingsLDK
2. UX for beginners by Joel Marsh
The next one on our list of UX books started as an email newsletter, grew into a blog, and became viral. And now you have it as a book, organized into small bite-sized lessons packed with actionable advice.
Really great starter UX book is “UX for beginners” (with the duck). It’s really digestible and I still use it as a quick reference or to jog ideas.
Mekkie Bansil, Founder & CEO at leadbound studio
3. Designing products people love by Scott Hurff
Now when you believe design is your thing, it'd be helpful to shadow experienced designers at work to gain some practical insights. Designing Products People Love was written just for this.
The author interviews dozens of product leaders from X (ex-Twitter), Medium, Squarespace, and similar to get their secrets. Then, he shares all the secrets with you and teaches you to implement what you read into your own process.
This book can replace an intensive workshop with an actual product designer.
Maya, UI/UX designer at Eleken
4. Inspired by Marty Cagan
Product design is in no way a lonely ranger story. It’s rather a story of a string section in an orchestra. Besides designers, every great product team consists of a project manager, developers, testers, marketers, researchers, analysts, and delivery managers. You can’t play your string section well without understanding how it cooperates with all the other people and processes inside of the product team.
Inspired is the perfect book to shed light on how everything works. Ilya, our CEO at Eleken design agency, strongly recommends reading this book to all of us (especially the marketing department).
Chapter 11! Go read chapter 11 to grasp what product designers do!
Ilya, Founder & CEO of Eleken
5. Designing interfaces by Jennifer Tidwell, Charles Brewer, and Aynee Valencia
Designing Interfaces is holding its ground even sixteen years after the original edition. This thick book with a lovely mandarin duck is a stalwart design guide for all the possible interfaces.
A very fundamental book, chock-full with clear examples. It structures your knowledge and offers a new, more comprehensive, way of looking at interface design.
Maksym, UI/UX designer at Eleken
6. The art of color by Johannes Itten
Not one of the UX/UI books specifically, but one you can't do without. Johannes Itten was one of the main teachers of Bauhaus — the avant-garde school of design, architecture, and applied arts. Sixty years ago he published The art of color, which is still considered the bible of color for artists and designers.
Don’t trust its plain and playful cover, the book is in no way an easy read. Dasha, who nominated this book in our list, recommends approaching it as strength training in the gym:
Read it in small portions and make pauses between each repetition.
Dasha, UI/UX designer at Eleken
7. Don't make me think by Steve Krug
To all the people — from all parts of the world — who have been so nice about this book for fourteen years.
Especially the woman who said it made her laugh so hard that milk came out of her nose.
From Steve Krug’s preface to the third edition
Do you need any other reason to read what’s under the cover? Dasha, who recommended this book, has one for you. She says it offers the simplest (and, probably, funniest) way to figure out how usability works.
Sooner or later, seeing how things could go wrong in practice, you start looking for some sets of recommendations towards good practice in design. Such guidelines for designers we have here, in our practical books category.
8. A project guide to UX design by Carolyn Chandler
Whether you are overwhelmed by your first UX job or get stressed just looking at your new design project, this book will help. Use A project guide to UX design as a mind-calming meditation.
[It is the book] I read so many times and still refer back quite a lot.
Tokiko Miyazato, Principal UX Designer
9. Change by design by Tim Brown
To work as a designer you must think like a designer. To think like a designer, and incorporate design thinking into your working process, you must read Change by design.
[This book is] really good for understanding what is design thinking and the process behind it… and when done well, you really can uncover gems (i.e. get into your customers’ mind/perspective)
Daniela Marquez, VP of Product & Growth at Lovingly
10. Evil by design by Chris Nodder
With the previous book, we learned how to ease the users’ lives. Now, welcome to the dark side of UX, following the path succinctly indicated by JD, a guy I’ve met in one Slack community for designers:
Learning to understand people, designers get tremendous power to create interfaces that are not just easy to use but encourage you to do things that you didn't mean to. I am not pointing fingers, but you just look at those addictive social media interfaces or video platforms that automatically play the next video in a sequence.
Any knowledge or tool can be used for good or bad. It's really the ethics of the professional using it.
Recommended by u/JD
11. Just enough research by Erika Hall
Erika Hall in her book says research is a periscope offering you a better view of your surroundings. I'll tell you, she created a perfect manual to adjust your periscope. In simple and vivid language, the book tells what is research and what research is not, when you need to gather more information, and when it’s just enough.
This book helped me survive in the wild wild web of unstructured controversial content when I was writing a series of articles about UX research. So I nominate it by myself, and highly recommend it to everyone who wants to break into the UX research field with no prior experience.
12. UX research by Brad Nunnally and David Farkas
It’s a basic practical research book that explains everything about questions, methods and analysis in research. Here's what says Alicja Głowicka, the designer who recommended O'reilly’s UX research:
[This book] is practical, has templates, and takes you through organizing research step by step.
Alicja Głowicka
13. The mom test by Rob Fitzpatrick
People say you shouldn’t ask your mom whether your business is a good idea — she’ll lie to you because she loves you. The author of the book argues that you shouldn’t ask anyone whether your business is a good idea, just because it’s a bad question.
If you want to validate your ideas by asking good questions, go read The Mom Test.
Maksym, UI/UX designer at Eleken
14. Measuring the user experience by Thomas Tullis and William Albert
Last but not least in our list of UI/UX books is the ultimate research manual for non-researchers. Not really the one you 'read', more useful to go over it all so that you can reference it later when you must decide what types of tests to run, when to run them, how to crunch the numbers.
Can say this book is one of my bibles — very useful for any research/data-oriented designer like myself.
Tokiko Miyazato, Principal UX Designer
15. The user experience team of one by Leah Buley
In today's fast-paced world of product development, many projects are understaffed. When you're the only designer on the team, success depends on knowing where to take shortcuts and where to focus your energy. This book gives you the lowdown on what works and what wastes time. It'll help you become a UX team of one who can do great work, even when faced with impossible deadlines and limited resources.
The UX Team of One had been on my work desk (constantly in use) for some time. Nothing revolutionary in it, but it's a good concise guide. Not the kind of a book you sit and read, but more the kind that you use as a tool. Very easy to scan and refer to relevant bits when needed. The way it's put together reminded me of Don't Make Me Think.
u/Usersarestupid
16. Atomic design by Brad Frost
Atomic Design is your guide to creating design systems that help you ship high-quality, consistent UIs at lightning speed. It breaks down the process of crafting UI into a logical hierarchy, dives into what makes a great pattern library, and shows you how to level up your team's design and dev workflow.
Recommended by u/BigPoodler, Principal Product Designer 🧙🏼♂️
17. The user's journey by Donna Lichaw
Want to create designs that hook people like a great story? The User's Journey shows you how to use narrative structure, techniques, and principles to craft engaging, cohesive experiences. You'll learn when and why to apply these tools to your product, feature, landing page, flow, campaign, content, or product strategy.
Recommended by u/BigPoodler, Principal Product Designer 🧙🏼♂️
18. Interviewing users by Steve Portigal
Think you know how to interview users? Think again. Interviewing is a crucial research skill that most people only think they've mastered. Asking questions is easy, but getting valuable insights? That's a whole different thing. Interviewing Users is your go-to guide for conducting interviews that uncover what really makes people tick. You'll learn the techniques and tools you need to get past surface-level data and dive deep into game-changing insights.
Recommended by u/BigPoodler, Principal Product Designer 🧙🏼♂️
19. Operating manual for spaceship Earth, by Buckminster Fuller
Written way back in '69, this book is still as relevant as ever. It's like a mental toolbox for tackling problems from all angles. Bucky Fuller challenges you to think big — and I mean, really big. Then, he breaks it down in a way that's so clear, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before. Good choice for those wanting to expand their problem-solving skills.
This and the following 4 books were suggested by u/pierdr, who believes that’s the texts for preparing yourself to the future of UX:
I think as we move towards the future of UX, where we reach peak frictionless interactions but lots of externalities, books like Don't Make Me Think are going to be seeing in much less favorable perspective
u/pierdr, Designer/Inventor • ex Humane, Apple, NIO, Tellart
20. The responsible object: A history of design ideology for the future by Marianne Van Helvert
If you're looking for a book that'll make you see design in a whole new light, this collection of essays is it. From fashion to interiors to graphics, the book will open your eyes to the complex role designers play in shaping our world.
Recommended by u/pierdr, Designer/Inventor • ex Humane, Apple, NIO, Tellart
21. The humane interface by Jef Raskin
Jef Raskin is the creator of the Apple Macintosh project. In The Humane Interface, he dives deep into making computers more user-friendly and intuitive. If you've ever wondered why Windows rubs you the wrong way, this book has the answers.
[The book is in the list] mostly for historical reasons, don't agree with everything in the book.
u/pierdr, Designer/Inventor • ex Humane, Apple, NIO, Tellart
22. Speculative everything by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby
If you're into design or any kind of research, you need to get your hands on this gem. It's a guide to speculative design that's easy to digest but packs serious ideas and curious examples you've never seen before. It's the perfect tool for expanding your design horizons.
Recommended by u/pierdr, Designer/Inventor • ex Humane, Apple, NIO, Tellart
23. Design is the solution by Nathan Shedroff
Want to create products that make a real difference? Design Is the Solution digs into how design culture often leads to wasteful, unsustainable solutions. But he doesn't just point fingers — he shows you how to revamp your design process to create products and services that are better for the world.
Recommended by u/pierdr, Designer/Inventor • ex Humane, Apple, NIO, Tellart
24. Lean UX by Josh Seiden and Jeff Gothelf
The book provides invaluable information on how to structure a complete design process within the fast-paced environment of a product and development team working in an agile way. A worthy read for all product management and product design roles.
Recommended by u/Smarterbuilder, UX designer
25. Talking to humans by Giff Constable
Talking to Humans is your actionable guide to effective customer development. Learn how to structure interviews, find the right people, and turn insights into real results.
[Talking to humans and Testing with humans, that’s #25 in our list] are pretty useful books that are short reads.
u/python_pele
26. Testing with humans by Giff Constable
The sequel to bestseller Talking to Humans. It’s a practical handbook for effective experimentation. It's full of tactics, tips, and examples to help you understand the power of experiments, craft experiments that yield real insights and turn test results into decisive actions.
Recommended by u/python_pele
27. Rocket surgery made easy by Steve Krug
Usability testing is a game-changer for product improvement, but the high costs (think $5k to $10k per round) often keep it out of reach. The author is here to save the day. In this practical guide, he lays out a streamlined usability testing process that anyone can use on their own website, app, or product.
[The book] is a great-common sense and IMO lower hanging fruit approach to improving UX, especially in orgs that struggle funding research.
u/Silly_Swordfish_9003
28. Set phasers on stun: And other true tales of design, technology, and human error by S. M. Casey
Set Phasers on Stun is a collection of 20 skillfully told anecdotes that show the consequences of poorly designed technology. Steven Casey demonstrates how failures occur when the design of technological systems doesn't align with the way people actually think, perceive, and behave.
Recommended by u/BenBreeg_38
29. Usability engineering by Jakob Nielsen
This book gives you the tools to avoid usability pitfalls and create better products. It lays out exactly which methods to use at each stage of development, so you're never flying blind. Plus, it's packed with detailed guidance on running usability tests and navigating the tricky world of international usability.
Recommended by u/BenBreeg_38
30. About face: The essentials of interaction design by Alan Cooper
About Face is one of the most influential books in the field of Interaction Design, covering the design of software, websites, apps, and other digital experiences. Author Alan Cooper introduced foundational concepts like designing for intermediates, goal-directed design, and personas, which have become cornerstones of the field.
I've found it a helpful read for our interns.
u/kroating
31. Solving product design exercises by Artiom Dashinsky
Top companies want designers who think business, not just visuals. This book helps you develop that mindset, nail job interviews, and even learn how to interview other designers. It's also full of portfolio project ideas to make you stand out. If you want to be the designer companies fight over, this book is a must-read.
I can't express how valuable this simple, yet extremely informative book has been during my career. I often refer back to it when going into Workshop sessions with stakeholders because I'm in a constantly ambiguous space where strategy is a big part of my impact. HIGHLY recommended for people interviewing for positions at FAANG's.
u/ArtaxIsAlive
32. Doorbells, danger and dead batteries by Steve Portigal
Want to know what really goes on behind the scenes of research? This book is a wild ride through the ups and downs of user research war stories, packed with stories that will make you laugh, gasp, and everything in between. It's an eye-opening look at the lengths researchers will go to uncover the insights that businesses today can't survive without.
[This book is] a hilarious collection of stories about UXR.
u/ArtaxIsAlive
33. Good strategy, bad strategy by Richard Rumelt
According to the book’s author, all good strategies are alike; each bad strategy is bad in its own way. That means you can learn to become a good strategist from Hannibal, Steve Jobs, and Howard Schultz. By tapping into the essence of a situation, understanding what works, and finding hidden potential, anyone can master the art of strategy.
Great for understanding the components of strategy.
u/Lebronamo
34. Design systems by Invision
Want to create a top-notch design system? This book is your roadmap, packed with best practices for planning, designing, building, and implementing. You'll get insider insights and real-world experiences straight from the lead designers at industry giants like Shopify, Google, Apple, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
[This book] is great for learning how to create new components.
u/Lebronamo
35. Microinteractions by Dan Staffer
Want to turn a good digital product into a great one? It's all about the details — the microinteractions. This full-color guide shows you how to design those tiny elements that make a big difference. You'll learn how to create intuitive controls for settings, mute buttons, email notifications, and more.
This is an essential read, and many other designers would agree with me on this regarding O’Reilly books.
u/neeblerxd
36. The lean startup by Eric Ries
A legendary book on digital product development.
Established companies can follow a pre-determined plan, like when preparing a space rocket for liftoff. But startups? They're more like driving a jeep across unstable and shifting terrain. There's no time to wait for perfection or rely on long-term forecasts. Start-ups must constantly change direction, swiftly manoeuvring around unexpected obstacles and dead-ends.
Recommended by Ilya Dmitruk, Eleken founder
37. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
If you're tired of feeling stretched too thin and want to make a real impact, Essentialism is your answer. It presents a time-management methodology that helps you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.
Recommended by Ilya Dmitruk, Eleken founder
Wrapping up
The world of design is vast and constantly evolving, and staying informed and inspired is key to success. If you're looking to elevate your product design, seek expert guidance, or aim to create experiences that resonate with users and align with business goals, consider reaching out to Eleken. Our team of experienced designers specializes in bringing ideas to life with a focus on practical, impactful, and user-centered design.
Connect with us to explore how we can help you transform your vision into a compelling digital product that stands out in the crowded SaaS landscape. Let's create something extraordinary together!
