Product designer’s bookshelf: Part 1.

Books that contribute to and refine designer’s skill set.

As a Product or UX Designer, you most likely “grew up” in your career reading Don Norman’s “Design of everyday things” and “Don’t let me think” by Stephen Krug. Both of them are treated like holy grail in the world of UX Design and for good reason: they open a door to the understanding of usability and user-centred design and help you build functional and user friendly interfaces. To top-up the starting book collection, I will add “Mobile first” by Luke Wroblewski – and excellent read to extend your expertise to understanding principles of mobile user experience and interface.

But as your career progresses, you will encounter more challenging obstacles and decision making than solely design and human-computer interaction. In this article I will share 5 incredible books with you to expand your knowledge resources.

“The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries

Insight:

• Advocates for a lean and iterative approach to product development, focusing on validated learning, experimentation, and customer feedback.
• Encourages the systematic testing of assumptions through minimum viable products (MVPs), minimizing wasted resources and time.
• Emphasizes the importance of a continuous feedback loop to adjust and pivot as necessary, increasing the chances of achieving product-market fit.

Why you should read it:

• Provides a structured methodology for startups to navigate uncertainties and increase the likelihood of building successful, sustainable products.
• Offers a framework for resource-efficient decision-making, reducing risks associated with traditional product development approaches.
• Promotes a culture of adaptability, learning, and resilience, crucial for navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup.

In summary, “Lean Startup” introduces a systematic and pragmatic approach to product development, fostering a culture of learning and adaptability, essential for startups and teams striving to create products that meet customer needs and achieve long-term success.

“UX for Lean Startups” by Laura Klein

Insight:

• Explores the integration of user experience (UX) design principles with lean startup methodologies.
• Emphasizes the importance of early and continuous user feedback to inform design decisions and improve product-market fit.
• Guides designers on how to align UX activities with the fast-paced and iterative nature of lean startups, ensuring a user-centered approach from the beginning.

Why you should read it:

• Bridges the gap between UX design and lean startup practices, offering a cohesive framework for product development.
• - Provides actionable strategies for incorporating UX research and design in an agile and iterative environment.
• - Equips designers with the tools to create products that not only solve user problems but also provide a positive and intuitive user experience.

In summary, “UX for Lean Startups” offers practical guidance on seamlessly integrating UX design into the lean startup framework. It ensures that user experience remains a priority throughout the iterative product development process, contributing to the creation of successful and user-friendly products.

”UX Strategy” by Jaime Levy

Insight:

• Focuses on the strategic integration of user experience (UX) design with overall business strategy.
• Guides organizations in aligning user-centric design practices with business goals to create products that are both user-friendly and commercially successful.
• Emphasizes the importance of understanding users, defining a clear UX vision, and integrating UX design into the organizational decision-making.

Why you should read it:

• Provides a holistic perspective, illustrating how UX design can be a driver of business success rather than merely a component of product development.
• Offers practical frameworks and methodologies for creating and implementing effective UX strategies.
• Demonstrates the impact of aligning user needs with business objectives, leading to products that not only meet user expectations but also contribute to organizational success.

In summary, “UX Strategy” is great because it addresses the crucial intersection of user experience and business strategy. It equips organizations with the tools to create products that are not only delightful for users but also strategically aligned with overarching business objectives.

”Hooked” by Nir Eyal

Insight:

• Explores the psychology of habit formation, unveiling the elements that make products addictive.
• Introduces the Hook Model, consisting of Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment, to create habit-forming user experiences.
• Emphasizes the importance of designing products that not only attract users initially but also keep them engaged over time through repeated usage.

Why you should read it:

• Provides a deep understanding of user behavior and how to design products that become integral to users’ daily routines.
• Offers a practical framework for product designers, equipping them with actionable steps to create products that capture and maintain user attention.
• Addresses the ethical implications of building habit-forming products, promoting responsible and user-centric design practices.

In summary, “Hooked” is great because it demystifies the psychology behind habit formation, offering designers valuable insights and a practical model to create engaging and habit-forming products responsibly.

”Sprint” by Jake Knapp

Insight:

• Introduces the concept of a design sprint, a time-boxed and structured process for solving critical design challenges.
• Advocates for a collaborative approach involving cross-functional teams to ideate, prototype, and test solutions rapidly.
• Prioritizes speed and efficiency, enabling teams to validate ideas and make informed decisions within a short timeframe.

Why you should read it:

• Provides a practical and actionable framework for solving complex problems quickly, making it especially valuable in fast-paced environments.
• Encourages a focused and intensive collaboration that breaks down silos and fosters innovation within teams.
• Streamlines decision-making, reduces the risk of investing time and resources in unproven ideas, and facilitates rapid iteration based on user feedback.

In summary, “Sprint” offers a tangible and effective approach to structured problem-solving. By emphasizing collaboration, speed, and user validation, it empowers teams to efficiently navigate design challenges and bring successful solutions to fruition.

Reading these books offers designers a comprehensive toolkit for creating impactful user experiences. From understanding user psychology to implementing lean methodologies and strategic planning, these books provide invaluable insights for designing products and services that resonate with users and drive business success. By incorporating the principles and strategies outlined in these books, designers can enhance their skills, streamline their processes, and ultimately deliver exceptional user experiences.

Happy reading! Part 2 is coming soon :)