UX dives into a whole new world when you look at design as a whole. Not only do you work in Figma and create designs, but you may also use components and libraries to make sure your designs are consistent throughout your application. But if you want to be impactful, meet customers’ needs, and produce results with your designs, let’s look at why design matters. These books below will get you started in the right direction.
Customers Know You Suck by Debbie Levitt
This is why design matters; customers know you suck. This book is a perfect example of a user who is aware and frustrated with a thoughtless experience (in this case, design), fueled by assumptions and opinions of what you think the user needs rather than talking and listening to real users. This concept helps me understand the importance of research and that we cannot design a good experience unless we speak with users. This involves discovery research, data collection, and usability testing, which Debbie discusses extensively in this book.
Universal Methods of Design by Bella Martin and Bruce Hanington
This book dives into various research and design methods that are incredibly helpful if you want to branch out into more advanced UX design. There are so many proven methods to help reduce risk and improve usability. It has a list of simple methods, along with intermediate and advanced strategies, from figuring out the user problem to creating an intuitive design.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
This is a very popular book in the UX community because not only does it talk about real-world, everyday products that are frustrating to use, but it also proves that most of the time, it’s not the user’s fault, it’s just bad design. Don talks about what good design is vs. bad design, giving you clear examples of how and the outcomes of those designs. Reading this book makes me empathize with users, and their struggles come through in the experiences. This is another book that prioritizes usability over aesthetics.