I asked Twitter for a good introductory book on UX. Something that would help startups or small teams “get” UX and help them understand the process and tasks needed to be done. No book can summarize all of UX (just like no book can summarize all of programming!) But I wanted a ‘starter book’ that got people hooked and broke them out of their technology first approach. For example, what kind of book would you give an Open Source project leader? (the teams that need this type of book the most)
I got A LOT of replies! I’m so grateful for everyone coming forward. There were a lot of classics in the list like the Design of Everyday Things, About Face, or Sprint, which are all awesome books but that wasn’t what I wanted. I’m looking for something very specific: a practical and concrete, almost ‘bootcamp’ type of book that you could maybe wrap a class around. By far the most commonly recommended book was:
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
Amazon Link
Which sounds like a solid choice. However, I’m very intrigued by these five (with very little to go on other than who recommended them, the title, or the blurb on their web page). Please, please keep in mind that I haven’t read these books yet. I’m just trying to collect all of the design love in a single place for others to explore on their own.
The User Experience Team of One
A Research and Design Survival Guide
https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/the-user-experience-team-of-one/
Collaborative Product Design
Help Any Team Build a Better Experience
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920057895.do
Think First: My No-Nonsense Approach to Creating Successful Products, Memorable User Experiences + Very Happy Customers
https://www.givegoodux.com/thinkfirst/
A Project Guide to UX Design
For User Experience Designers in the Field or in the Making
http://projectuxd.com/
UX for Beginners: A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons
Amazon link
Of course there were many more listed! It was a bit overwhelming. I’ll list the remaining ones below. As I checked this morning, there were even more recommendations coming in! In addition, I’m sure I missed a few (this was a rather chaotic process) So apologies if I missed your recommendation. To be honest, they ALL look interesting, I’m sure I’ll be buying many of these as well.
UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products People Want
https://userexperiencestrategy.com/
Cadence & Slang is a series of evergreen guidelines that advocate simplicity, consistency, and humanity in technology.
https://cadence.cc/
The Elements of User Experience
User-Centered Design for the Web
http://www.jjg.net/elements/
Service Design
From Insight to Implementation
https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/service-design/
Orchestrating Experiences
Collaborative Design for Complexity
https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/orchestrating-experiences/
How to Make Sense of Any Mess: Information Architecture for Everybody
Amazon link
Sense & Respond, How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously
https://senseandrespond.co/
THIS IS SERVICE DESIGN DOING
Applying Service Design Thinking in the real world
https://www.thisisservicedesigndoing.com/
Lean UX
Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920021827.do
Experience Design: Technology for All the Right Reasons (Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Informatics)
Amazon Link