4 enjoyable summer reads to get you started with User Experience Design
Personally, Summer has always been a time for adventures. Having a swim or a paddle in the lake, taking cute photos with your friends around the city, or taking a 6-hour hike under the scorching midday sun (strongly recommend against the last one, Scottish sun is no joke and no view is worth the sunburn). Another personal favourite is relaxing by the beach with a good book. I just love to make the most of my vitamin-D-replenishing time by reading something that's both fun AND informative. If you, like me, are interested in User Experience (UX) design, and you aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer just yet, here are the four books that I would highly recommend.
September is the perfect month for building a seasonal curriculum. While these books are all relatively light reads, they're also packed with valuable insights that will help you understand the basics of UX design and how to create products that people love to use. So if you want to dip your toes into the wonderous world of UX, here are my tip top reccomendations!
1. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman: This book is a classic introduction to UX design. It covers the basics of how people interact with products and how to design products that are easy to use and understand.
Design of Everyday Things book
2. Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug: This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to create user-friendly websites and apps. It covers the principles of usability and how to make sure that your products are easy to use.
3. The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett: This book is a more in-depth look at UX design. It covers the different stages of the UX design process and how to create products that are both usable and desirable.
Elements of User Experience book
4. Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work Paperback by Bill Burnett, Dave Evans: This book is not specifically about UX design, but it does provide some valuable insights into how to create products that make people happy. It covers topics such as motivation, habit formation, and decision-making.
Here are some final thoughts to leave you with:
UX design is a fascinating and rewarding field. It's the perfect blend of creativity and problem-solving.
If you're interested in UX design, I encourage you to keep learning and growing. There are many resources available online and in libraries.
Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things. The best UX designers are always learning and iterating.
And most importantly, have fun! UX design should be enjoyable. If you're not having fun, you're less likely to be successful.
So there you have it! Now what are you waiting for? Go forth and design! And don’t forget to make the world a more user-friendly place.
