17 Best Product Design Books To Make You A Finer Designer
In the realm of product design, each book serves as a cornerstone, bridging foundational theories and cutting-edge practices. Having traversed the landscapes of Amazon to unearth the gems of this domain, I’ve curated a list that is essential for both beginners and veterans. These must-reads encompass a spectrum—from the philosophies of design thinking to the aesthetics of graphic design.
They meticulously demystify the product design process, offering invaluable insights that empower product teams to craft solutions infused with innovation and practicality. With a focus on UI design and a steadfast commitment to user research, these books underscore the essence of good design—where creativity intersects with common sense to unveil designs that resonate with the end-users.
17 Best Product Design Books
I've read and selected these books, ensuring each is a powerful tool to address your product design challenges:
- The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
- Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
- Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services by Jon Yablonski
- Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf
- Innovative Product Design Practice by Carl Liu
- Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz
- Designing Products People Love: How Great Designers Create Successful Products by Scott Hurff
- The COMPLETE BOOK of Product Design, Development, Manufacturing, and Sales by Steven Selikoff
- INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love (Silicon Valley Product Group) by Marty Cagan
- User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant
- About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel
- Product Design and Development by Karl T. Ulrich
- User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product by Jeff Patton and Peter Economy
- The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) by John Maeda
- Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience by Tom Greever
- Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design: Second Edition by Bjarki Hallgrimsson
- Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Kim Goodwin
Overviews Of The 17 Best Product Design Books
1. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
Summary:
This classic book by Don Norman delves deep into the cognitive aspects and the psychology behind effective and user-friendly design. Norman articulates the fundamental principles that are crucial to creating intuitive and human-centered products. By exploring a wide array of examples and case studies, he offers invaluable insights into why some designs fail while others succeed, providing readers with essential tools and knowledge to enhance their design approach.
What You'll Learn:
Navigate the principles of intuitive and user-friendly design. The book unfolds the layers of cognitive psychology that play a pivotal role in design, guiding through the realms of creating products that resonate with users’ natural instincts and behaviors.
Why You Should Read It:
To cultivate a design mindset that is profoundly empathetic and user-centric. It enables designers to look beyond aesthetics and functionalities, digging deeper into the psychological interaction users have with products.
Quote From The Book:
"Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating."
About The Author:
Don Norman is a visionary in the field of design, cognitive science, and usability engineering. Connect with him on LinkedIn, follow him on Twitter, or explore more of his work and insights on his personal website.
2. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Summary:
In "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products", Nir Eyal articulates how successful products create a habit-forming cycle for users, keeping them engaged and returning for more. Eyal takes us on a journey, unraveling the hooks that make products addictive and unveiling how companies can create user habits that stick.
What You'll Learn:
Gain profound insights into the psychology of habit-forming products. Discover the "Hook Model", a four-step process that companies use to build customer habits, and learn how to apply these principles in various contexts to make products more engaging.
Why You Should Read It:
This book is essential for product designers and entrepreneurs who aim to create products that are not only used but become an integral part of users' lives. It reveals the secret sauce behind the engagement of successful products.
Quote From The Book:
"Many innovations fail because consumers irrationally overvalue the old while companies irrationally overvalue the new."
About The Author:
Nir Eyal is an author, lecturer, and investor known for his expertise in the psychology of technology. Connect with him through his LinkedIn, explore his insights on Twitter, or delve deeper into his thoughts on behavior design and habit-forming technologies on his personal website.
3. Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services by Jon Yablonski
Summary:
"Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services" by Jon Yablonski is a remarkable guide that intertwines the realms of psychology with the principles of UX design. Yablonski brings forth foundational laws and essential principles that aim at enhancing user experiences by leveraging psychological insights.
What You'll Learn:
Yablonski provides profound insights into the application of psychological principles in UX design, cultivating a deeper understanding of user behavior and preferences. The book focuses on foundational laws that are crucial for creating intuitive and engaging user interfaces and experiences.
Why You Should Read It:
For a design approach that is deeply rooted in understanding and empathizing with user behaviors and preferences. The book offers a compass to navigate the complex landscapes of UX design, enhancing the capacity to create products that resonate with users.
Quote From The Book:
"Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know."
About The Author:
Jon Yablonski is an experienced design professional with a passion for user experience and digital product design. Explore his creative insights on Twitter, or delve deeper into his world of UX and design on his personal website. Jon has also curated a dedicated platform for UX laws which can be accessed here.
4. Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf
Summary:
"Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams" by Jeff Gothelf is a transformative read that redefines the realms of user experience and product design. Gothelf introduces Lean UX as a dynamic methodology that harmonizes the design process with agile development, facilitating the creation of user-centric products in an efficient and collaborative manner.
What You'll Learn:
This book unfolds the principles and practices of Lean UX in a comprehensive manner. Learn how to integrate UX design into the agile process, foster collaboration among teams, and accelerate the product development cycle while ensuring that user needs and experiences remain at the forefront.
Why You Should Read It:
To adapt to a design philosophy that promotes agility, collaboration, and continuous learning. Gothelf’s insights will empower you to create robust, user-focused designs in dynamic and collaborative environments, aligning perfectly with modern agile practices.
Quote From The Book:
"As our world grows more interconnected, the ability to create software will no longer be enough. We must be adept at creating systems."
About The Author:
Jeff Gothelf is a thought leader in the fields of UX design, lean thinking, and agile practices. Connect with him on LinkedIn, explore his insights on Twitter, or delve into the world of Lean UX on his personal website. Jeff is also a co-founder of Sense & Respond Press, which you can explore here.
5. Innovative Product Design Practice by Carl Liu
Summary:
"Innovative Product Design Practice" by Carl Liu is a treasure chest of product design wisdom. Liu elucidates the intricate pathways of product design, sharing in-depth insights and methodologies that ignite innovation and creativity in the design process. The book unveils Liu’s rich reservoir of experience and knowledge, making it a wellspring of inspiration and guidance for design enthusiasts.
What You'll Learn:
Uncover the nuanced strategies and creative philosophies that drive innovative product design. Liu shares a diverse array of experiences and case studies, illuminating the pathways to mastery in product design and helping to cultivate a mindset ripe for innovation and excellence.
Why You Should Read It:
Embark on a journey that enriches your design vocabulary and nurtures your creative faculties. This book is a confluence where practical wisdom meets profound inspiration, guiding designers to new heights of innovation and excellence in product design.
Quote From The Book:
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
About The Author:
Carl Liu is a design maestro who has nurtured his expertise through extensive practice and a passion for innovation.
6. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Braden Kowitz
Summary:
"Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days" is a revolutionary book that introduces a unique five-day process for solving tough problems, creating new products, or making fast improvements to existing ones. Crafted meticulously by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz, this book is an amalgamation of their collective experiences at Google Ventures and is loaded with practical insights.
What You'll Learn:
Discover the 'Sprint' process, a systematic approach to problem-solving and innovation. It equips you with the strategies to accelerate project outcomes without the need for endless discussions and wasteful processes.
Why You Should Read It:
Immerse yourself in a transformative methodology that has been tried and tested by various startups and industry giants, proving instrumental in solving big challenges swiftly and efficiently.
Quote From The Book:
"The sprint is a five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers."
About The Authors:
Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz bring a wealth of experience from Google Ventures.
7. Designing Products People Love: How Great Designers Create Successful Products by Scott Hurff
Summary:
"Designing Products People Love" by Scott Hurff is an enlightening guide that ushers you into the realms of creating products that resonate with users. Through a harmonious blend of practical insights and engaging stories, Hurff unravels the mysteries behind the design of products that captivate and delight users, ensuring not just functional effectiveness but also a delightful user experience.
What You'll Learn:
Gain insights into the nuances of crafting products that users find irresistible. Hurff walks you through the pathways of understanding user needs, unveiling what truly resonates with them, and creating designs that elevate the user experience.
Why You Should Read It:
Embark on a journey of discovery where you unravel the secrets of creating designs that speak the language of the user’s heart, fostering products that are not just used but loved.
Quote From The Book:
"Your product is only as good as someone’s perception of it. And that perception is only as good as the person’s experience with it."
About The Author:
Scott Hurff is a beacon in the design landscape with a rich tapestry of experience and insights. Connect with his professional journey on LinkedIn and explore the depths of his creative insights on Twitter. For a deeper exploration of his world of design, feel free to visit his personal website.
8. The COMPLETE BOOK of Product Design, Development, Manufacturing, and Sales by Steven Selikoff
Summary:
"The COMPLETE BOOK of Product Design, Development, Manufacturing, and Sales" by Steven Selikoff is a comprehensive guide that maps out the entire journey of a product from conception to market. This tome imparts nuanced insights, practical methodologies, and a panoramic view of the multifaceted universe of product design and development.
What You'll Learn:
Dive deep into a reservoir of knowledge covering aspects such as product conception, design intricacies, development phases, manufacturing pathways, and the strategies that propel a product into the market successfully.
Why You Should Read It:
This book is a wellspring of practical wisdom, acting as a compass that navigates you through the complexities and challenges that the voyage of product development inherently presents.
Quote From The Book:
"A product’s success is not solely determined at the selling stage, but throughout the design, development, and manufacturing phases."
About The Author:
Steven Selikoff, with his profound experience and in-depth knowledge, illuminates the path of product design and development.
9. INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love (Silicon Valley Product Group) by Marty Cagan
Summary:
"INSPIRED" by Marty Cagan is a seminal book that acts as a beacon for anyone venturing into the technological arena of product management. Cagan meticulously unveils the curtains behind successful tech products, providing readers with a profound understanding of the principles and practices that fuel innovation and product success in the tech world.
What You'll Learn:
The book elucidates the frameworks, methodologies, and mindsets that are essential in crafting tech products that resonate with customers. It offers a spectrum of insights into identifying what exceptional products entail and the journey of bringing them to life.
Why You Should Read It:
"INSPIRED" acts as a crucible where the essence of technological product management is refined and presented, enabling you to grasp the fundamental philosophies and actionable strategies that catalyze product success.
Quote From The Book:
"Product management is the art of knowing what to build."
About The Author:
Marty Cagan is a venerated figure in the product management arena, embodying a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Engage with his professional insights on LinkedIn and explore a realm of wisdom on his Twitter. For a more comprehensive dive into his perspectives, visit his personal website.
10. User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant
Summary:
"User Friendly" is a meticulously woven tapestry that explores the profound influence of design on our lives and futures. Authors Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant navigate the realms where design subtly intersects with our daily existence, illuminating the hidden rules that shape our interactions with products and services.
What You'll Learn:
Embark on a journey through the evolution of design, discovering its imperceptible yet profound influence on our experiences and interactions in the modern world. The authors decrypt the language of design, sharing insights that unveil how it molds our lived realities.
Why You Should Read It:
"User Friendly" offers a lens to perceive the unseen influences of design. It unveils a world where design is not just an aesthetic choice but a pivotal factor that orchestrates the rhythm of our lives and the usability of our world.
Quote From The Book:
"Design, at the bottom, is the art of rearranging the particles of the physical world to better reflect the concerns of the human mind."
About The Author:
Cliff Kuang is a formidable voice in understanding the role of design in shaping user experiences. Robert Fabricant contributes an invaluable perspective on design with a breadth of experience in innovation.
11. About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin, and Christopher Noessel
Summary:
"About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design" is a comprehensive guide that bridges the gaps between business, development, and design. This indispensable book sheds light on interaction design, ensuring that products resonate with users and their needs.
What You'll Learn:
This book enlightens readers on creating engaging interfaces that are user-centric. It unfolds methodologies and principles that fuel the design of intuitive and captivating digital spaces, enhancing user experiences.
Why You Should Read It:
Immerse yourself to explore and embrace the essential paradigms of interaction design. The book cultivates a deep understanding, enabling the creation of more human-friendly, intuitive, and engaging interfaces.
Quote From The Book:
"Designers must strive to make necessary features readily apparent and to make the current status visible, so users don’t have to remember things from one interaction to the next."
About The Author:
Alan Cooper is a visionary in interaction design. Robert Reimann has significantly influenced the evolution of design. David Cronin’s expertise in interaction design is substantial. Christopher Noessel shares a rich reservoir of design knowledge.
12. Product Design and Development by Karl T. Ulrich
Summary:
"Product Design and Development" delineates the processes and practices involved in creating new products that resonate with consumers, emphasizing a strategic and organized approach to product innovation and design.
What You'll Learn:
This insightful tome provides a comprehensive overview of methods and strategies pivotal to product innovation and design, shedding light on aspects like product architecture, prototyping, and industrial design.
Why You Should Read It:
The book serves as an invaluable resource for those looking to acquire a meticulous understanding of the nuances involved in product design and development, enhancing their proficiency and capability in this domain.
Quote From The Book:
"Creating successful new products is a challenge. A company must understand its markets, carefully manage the technical development process, and navigate a complex set of existing constraints and trade-offs."
About The Author:
Karl T. Ulrich is a distinguished author and educator, specializing in product design and development. Explore more about his work and insights on his personal website.
13. User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product by Jeff Patton and Peter Economy
Summary:
User Story Mapping is a book that elaborates on a valuable tool used in managing product development. Jeff Patton and Peter Economy unveil an innovative method known as "story mapping" to enable product managers, designers, and developers to visualize product functionality and features from the customer’s perspective.
What You'll Learn:
This book teaches the concept of story mapping in a concise and understandable way, allowing teams to maintain a customer-centric approach while managing complexities, and prioritizing the features or components during the product development process.
Why You Should Read It:
Understanding and mastering the art of story mapping can make a significant difference in product development outcomes, making this book an essential read for anyone involved in product design, development, and management.
Quote From The Book:
"Building a successful product is not about getting a lot done. It's about getting the right things done. And it’s about getting them done one at a time."
About The Author:
Jeff Patton is a consultant, teacher, and author focusing on product design. Peter Economy is also a prolific author and can be connected with through his LinkedIn.
14. The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life) by John Maeda
Summary:
In "The Laws of Simplicity," John Maeda offers a systematic approach to creating simplicity at the intersection of technology, business, and design. Maeda, a polymath designer and technologist, uses his expertise to explore how simplicity can be cultivated in product and experience design.
What You'll Learn:
The book articulates ten laws and three keys that form a foundation to convey simplicity in various domains such as design, technology, and business. Readers will gain insights into achieving simplicity in both professional and personal life, contributing to better design decisions and improved user experiences.
Why You Should Read It:
Reading this book will equip designers, technologists, and business professionals with practical insights to make more simplified, impactful, and user-friendly products and services.
Quote From The Book:
"Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful."
About The Author:
John Maeda is an esteemed designer, technologist, and executive. You can connect with John Maeda on LinkedIn and Twitter. His experiences and explorations in simplicity and design are profound and are reflected in his various endeavors and writings.
15. Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience by Tom Greever
Summary:
Articulating Design Decisions by Tom Greever is a guide aimed at helping designers effectively communicate their design decisions to stakeholders and team members. The book shares techniques and approaches to articulately convey the rationale behind design choices, ensuring that the design vision is understood and supported by all parties involved in a project.
What You'll Learn:
You will learn how to communicate your design decisions and rationale effectively to stakeholders and team members. The book provides insights into managing feedback, keeping a project on track, and ensuring that the best user experience is delivered by enabling coherent communication and mutual understanding between the design team and other project stakeholders.
Why You Should Read It:
This book is essential for designers who want to build confidence in presenting and defending their decisions while maintaining productive relationships with clients and team members. It’s a vital resource to prevent misunderstandings and to manage feedback effectively, ensuring that the design vision is realized with support and clarity.
Quote From The Book:
"Design is not just about creating beautiful interfaces; it's about communicating our decisions effectively to ensure our vision becomes a reality."
About The Author:
Tom Greever is a professional UX director and designer. With a rich background in UX design, Tom is adept at articulating design decisions and strategies to stakeholders, an expertise he generously shares in his book. His experiences have been channeled into helping other designers communicate effectively, ensuring successful project outcomes.
16. Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design: Second Edition by Bjarki Hallgrimsson
Summary:
Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design, in its second edition, lays a comprehensive groundwork on the significance and methods of prototyping and modelmaking in the field of product design. Bjarki Hallgrimsson leverages his extensive knowledge to guide readers through a variety of techniques and tools that aid in developing prototypes to visualize and test design concepts.
What You'll Learn:
The book unfolds the crucial role of prototypes and models in design communication, problem-solving, and product validation. Readers will explore various materials, methods, and best practices to build functional and effective prototypes, ranging from simple sketch models to complex working prototypes. The book also sheds light on the pragmatic aspects of prototype creation, ensuring that readers can apply these techniques practically in their design processes.
Why You Should Read It:
Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design are enriched with insights that are instrumental for students, educators, and professionals in the design domain. The real-world examples, coupled with vivid imagery and thorough explanations, make it an essential resource for those looking to enhance their prototyping skills and knowledge.
Quote From The Book:
"Prototypes breathe life into design concepts, providing a tangible means to communicate, evaluate, and test a design's functionality and appeal."
About The Author:
Bjarki Hallgrimsson is a seasoned product designer with extensive experience in teaching and practice. He is an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Carleton University, where his teaching and research focus on design processes, with a special emphasis on prototyping and modelmaking.
17. Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services by Kim Goodwin
Summary:
Designing for the Digital Age is a comprehensive guide that elucidates the methodology and practices necessary for creating compelling and user-friendly products and services. Kim Goodwin, with her expansive experience, articulates the intricacies of human-centered design, providing profound insights that cater to the multifaceted needs of users.
What You'll Learn:
Readers will delve into the entire process of design, exploring various facets such as requirement gathering, developing user personas, designing interfaces, and usability testing. It fosters the development of robust competencies in creating products and services that resonate with users, enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.
Why You Should Read It:
The book is immensely practical and is flooded with real-world examples and case studies. It is an essential read for designers, product managers, and anyone keen on mastering the art of creating exceptional digital products and services that stand the test of evolving user needs and market dynamics.
Quote From The Book:
"Successful design isn’t just about getting the latest technology right; it is about crafting experiences that enrich lives and are delightful and meaningful."
About The Author:
Kim Goodwin is a stalwart in the field of experience design. She is a veteran in leading design and research projects and has a profound impact on the design community. Kim possesses a unique knack for human-centered design, which she propounds through her teachings and writings. You might want to connect with Kim Goodwin through LinkedIn.
That's the list! If you're eager for more resources to fine-tune your skillset, browse our roundup of the best design thinking podcasts and best design conferences coming up this year. Books are wonderful for self-led learning, but nothing beats the energy and networking power of exchanging knowledge with industry peers and leaders.
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