Module 2: Hacking How Designers Think
This section will help you hack how UX/UI designers think! Why hack that? Because the more you can think like a designer, the more successful your Boot Camp experience will be.
These are the books designers working in the field have read. Once you read them, too, you’ll be able to have meaningful conversations with designers. You never know who you’ll work with or be hired by, and having a shared body of knowledge gives you a leg up!
Recommended Reading
Start by reading just the two recommended books and article below. From there, work on building a library of UX/UI design books.
These cover the fundamentals of design and UX:
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
- Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
- Article: "What Is User Experience Design? Overview, Tools, and Resources" by Jacob Gube
Books on UX/UI Designers’ Shelves
It's important to begin building a library of UX/UI design books—having reference literature at your fingertips will be invaluable throughout your career.
This is a comprehensive list, in order of priority:
- Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden
- UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want by Jaime Levy
- Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Kim Goodwin
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100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D
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About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper et al.
- The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web and Beyond by Jesse James Garrett
- Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain World by Peter Merholz, Todd Wilkens, Brandon Schauer, and David Verba
- A Practical Guide to Information Architecture by Donna Spencer
- Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning by Dan M. Brown
- Designing Together: The Collaboration and Conflict Management Handbook for Creative Professionals by Dan M. Brown
- Seductive Interaction Design: Creating Playful, Fun, and Effective User Experiences by Stephen Anderson
- The Shape of Design by Frank Chimero
Want more? Great! Simon Pan at Medium has put together an even more exhaustive list: Medium UX Reading List.
Design Blogs
Keep up to date with design trends and philosophies by reading design articles. Bookmark these links and make a habit of reading them weekly:
TED Talks on Design
- Rochelle King: The Complex Relationship Between Data and Design in UX
- Sheena Iyengar: How to make choosing easier.
- David McCandless: The Beauty of Data Visualization.
- Margaret Gould Stewart: How Giant Websites Design For You.
- Paul Bennett: Design in the Details.
- Don Norman: 3 Ways Good Design Makes You Happy.
- Tom Hulme: What Can We Learn from Shortcuts?