UX Design Resources

March 2015

I’m often asked what things a person should be reading if they are just starting out in UX. The answer is going to be different no matter whom you talk to, but what follows are a few resources that informed a lot of my design upbringing.

Fundamental Design

• Elements of Typographical Style. Jason Santa Maria once made me read this book in three days. I think I’m a better person for it.
• Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud. Makes you consciously consider things you may have known all your life on only a subconscious level. One of those books that expands your mind.
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Edward Tufte. Tufte is nearly a genre unto himself, and I think this volume is his best, especially for outsiders.
• Interaction of Color, Josef Albers. Albers' deep understanding of how color’s relativity manifests itself is valuable for designers of all kinds.

Interaction Design & User Experience

• Designing for Interaction, Dan Saffer. A great survey of principled interactions for a variety of inerfaces and context. Maybe start here.
• About Face, Alan Cooper. When you’re done with Saffer, dive into this.
• Designing Interfaces, Jenifer Tidwell. The edition I have is full of interfaces whose visual design is now outdated, but whose principles remain relevant.
• Designing Interactions, Bill Moggridge. Really interesting oral histories from pioneers from many industries.
• The Design of Everyday Things, Donald Norman. Posted here for fear of losing all professional credibility.
• Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace. I mean, have you read it?

News & Blogs

• Designer News. A Hacker News clone that, while hit or miss, can help one pick up on emerging trends and products.
• A List Apart. A consistent source of best practices and thought-provoking process. The best pieces here usually regard meta-design and user experience strategy.
• Little Big Details. Proof that small things can have an impact. This site its kind of like Doritos for your mind.

Other Resources

• The Interaction Design Association. In their own words: “a member-supported organization dedicated to the discipline of interaction design.” This is the group responsible for the annual Interaction confrerence.
• Graduate programs. While not necessary and not for everyone, a number of graduate programs exist for those looking for a structured UX education. Not all are focused on the same aspects of user expereince and each have relative strengths and weaknessess.
  • MFA Interaction Design program at The School of Visual Arts
  • ITP at New York University
  • Interaction Design program at Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Interaction Design program at California College of the Arts