10 Best UI Design Books

UI design is a dynamic major with high demands on creativity and aesthetics. It constantly changes according to the needs and preferences of internet users.

As a great UI designer, you must be able to keep up with these changes. One of the best ways to achieve this is to read books specializing in UI.

Every good book will help you to understand more about users and their requirements. In this article, I have compiled the top 10 user Interface design books. They cover many different topics suitable for different audiences.

The following books will help you understand UI design trends and the needs of today’s users. Accordingly, it will help you accurately capture their desires and produce impressive and attractive designs.

1. The Design of Everyday Things

The Design of Everyday Things

Specifications

  • Narrator: Neil Hellers
  • Author: Don Norman
  • Listening time: 10 hours 39 minutes

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Reasons to buy

  • For all designers
  • Interesting content
  • Best overall quality
  • User and designer relations
  • Cover the concept of UI design

Review

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman is the best book I’ve ever read.

This edition builds with unique and intimate content to guide readers about the special relationship between designers and users. It also includes device designs that get users to question them.

The content in this book is a good idea. It makes it easier to absorb and understand the information provided.

This book also includes design concepts suitable for beginners for quick access to this dynamic discipline. Even though I’m an inexperienced user of UI design, I’m delighted with the knowledge this book brings.

The Design of Everyday Things focuses heavily on physical product designs. Therefore, although it has existed for 30 years, it still ensures the correctness and suitability for modern design requirements and trends.

2. UI is Communication

UI is Communication: How to Design Intuitive, User Centered Interfaces by Focusing on Effective Communication

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Morgan Kaufmann
  • Author: Everett N McKay
  • Number of pages: 378 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • For beginners
  • Easy to read
  • Good price
  • Many practical examples
  • Diversified resources

Review

Finding the right book that suits their requirements and level is a big challenge for those just starting. Fortunately, I found that the UI is Communication. This version contains simple and easy-to-understand content for beginners in UI design.

Instead of delving into a theory like other books, this product focuses on exploiting the practical aspect.

I appreciate this change. It was easier to learn and absorb for me. The examples are implemented in a way that is easy to understand and apply to all readers, helping you quickly implement successful personal projects.

The author’s straightforward writing with close language allows any audience to read. And that is also the reason why I appreciate this book even more.

3. Design for Hackers

Design for Hackers

Specifications

  • Publishing company: John Wiley & Sons
  • Author: David Kadavy
  • Number of pages: 352 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Just the right length
  • Deep and wide expertise
  • Easy-to-read and understand
  • Include historical and prescriptive content

Review

Design for Hackers is written in simple language with a logical content arrangement, easy for users to read and understand.

As a person without much UI design experience, I still boldly buy this book and experience it. After reading it many times, I am satisfied with the contents here.

It was short and to the point of what I wanted. From there, it helps to create inspiration and limit boredom and discontinuity when reading other books.

This book covers the history, fundamentals, and frameworks for user interface design for hackers. It helps orient you well on the basic knowledge and skills.

The images and fonts are neatly and cleanly presented, which is the perfect advantage that makes the book more valuable for readers.

4. Grid Systems in Graphic Design

Grid systems in graphic design

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Niggli Verlag
  • Author: Josef Müller-Brockmann
  • Number of pages: 176 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • For all skill levels
  • Focused, diverse content
  • Up-to-date calculation
  • Convenient to look up
  • Specific illustrations

Review

Grid systems in graphic design is an excellent book for all skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced designer, you can use this book. Its content is highly directional to help graphic designers organize information meaningfully, logically, and consistently.

As a longtime graphic designer, I am pleased with the knowledge provided by this book. It is authentic and makes a lot of sense to my current work practices. It gives me more confidence in my transition to UI design.

Unlike many other books, I have read, Grid systems in graphic design are more memorable in deploying content. The author spends a lot of effort briefly explaining each chapter of the book.

Unfortunately, its hefty price tag can significantly hinder your purchase.

5. The Elements of Typographic Style

The Elements of Typographic Style

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Hartley and Marks Publishing
  • Author: Robert Bringhurst
  • Number of pages: 382 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Updated text
  • Easy to read
  • Ideal for budget
  • Engaging content

Review

The Elements of Typographic Style is the perfect book on history and typography. Its content is complete and engaging with thorough research and provides insights into improving typography and optimizing readability for any document you create.

I have asked a lot of my friends to experience and evaluate. They are all satisfied with how they write content and reach readers. Each font is thoughtful and meticulous, making it easier for readers to practice.

Its updated content over the years ensures the correct information to the readers. Talented author Robert Bringhurst writes the book. He is a person who holds essential positions and is an authoritative author, whom I love very much.

6. Designing with the Mind in Mind

Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Guidelines

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Morgan Kaufmann
  • Author: Jeff Johnson
  • Number of pages: 304 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • The right budget
  • Includes basic principles
  • Short and interesting introduction
  • Includes many practical examples

Review

If you want to buy a quality UI book on the cheap, the Designing with the Mind in Mind is the version you should take advantage of.

This book is heavily geared toward the principles of user interface design. It goes from simple to complex so that all readers can understand.

This book has included compelling and practical examples. It helps the reader understand and adequately implement each principle.

I’m satisfied with the performance of this book. But its content arrangement has yet to convince me. It’s still messy for an inexperienced person like me to grasp.

7. Designing Interfaces

Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design

Specifications

  • Publishing company: O’Reilly Media
  • Author: Jennifer Tidwell, Charles Brewer, Aynne Valencia
  • Number of pages: 599 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Sharp images and colors
  • Vibrant and engaging content
  • Easily accessible to beginners

Review

You cannot quickly improve your attractive design skills when you do not refer to and learn much different knowledge.

For finished products that many users love, you need to read Designing Interfaces more. This book will provide compelling design patterns that help boost user engagement.

Mark- a close friend of mine, is working in UI design intensively. He is delighted with the content of this book. It helps expand your knowledge and form unique ideas about design.

Despite being published for many years, Designing Interfaces’ sales are still impressive. Through each update, the reference designs are much more attractive and vivid.

However, its 600 pages is not a tiny number, requiring you to spend enough time on it to access and practice efficiently.

8. About Face

About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Wiley
  • Author: Alan Cooper, Robert Reimann, David Cronin
  • Number of pages: 720 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Suitable for beginners
  • Organize scientific content
  • Diverse learning resources
  • Excellent book on design fundamentals

Review

If you want to learn about design principles, then About Face is the book you should refer to. Its content is spread over 720 detailed pages, intended to help readers understand the specifics and best practices.

I use it and appreciate its up-to-date knowledge. Each topic builds and arranges science and logic for readers to learn and understand the lesson better.

Many sections go too far into unrelated topics. And if the reader needs to pay attention, it is possible to form false thoughts.

In addition to the fundamentals, it also provides information for product design and interactions. It helps readers understand the value of interaction between users and designers. From there, this one helps to form an overarching thinking system for readers about UI design.

9. Digital Design Essentials

Digital Design Essentials: 100 ways to design better desktop, web, and mobile interfaces

Specifications

  • Publishing company: Rockport Publishers
  • Author: Rajesh Lal
  • Number of pages: 208 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Good budget
  • It is easy to understand
  • Specific and focused content
  • Written by a famous design expert
  • Used for desktop and mobile interface design

Review

Digital Design Essentials will teach you a hands-on approach to creating graphical user interface designs for desktop, mobile, and other touchscreen versions. Its orientation surprised me. About nature, not restrictive and forced like other practice books I’ve read.

This book is written by an expert in mobile design, Mr. Rajesh Lal. He is my role model to help define my profession.

This book also includes practical examples for you to follow or refer to, and that’s a definite plus for this product. The book was the perfect place to start learning about UI design. It made my development path much more accessible.

10. UX for Beginners

UX for Beginners: A Crash Course in 100 Short Lessons

Specifications

  • Publishing company: O’Reilly Media
  • Author: Joel Marsh
  • Number of pages: 255 pages

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Reasons to buy

  • Short content
  • Easy to read and understand
  • An excellent resource for beginners
  • Clear and easy-to-follow illustrations photo

Review

A book with complete resources will be better for your inquiry and study. And UX for Beginners is the perfect example for you.

With this book, I received a complete reference to the contents. From there, it helps readers understand the content more easily.

What impressed me most about this book was the content design. It breaks down the process, and the critical UI components are elementary to understand, from information architecture to design with data. I completed my project faster and more efficiently with beneficial hints, tips, and advice.

This version is significantly more straightforward to understand than many books I have read. It doesn’t try to overwhelm the user but repeatedly repeats the most basic principles.

I always recommend this book for beginners because it doesn’t try to cram in unnecessary jargon while providing comprehensive coverage related to the field.

Buying Guide

Author

Prioritize the books selection written by highly qualified and experienced authors. Only they can provide you with the right insights. Accordingly, it will help you apply and practice correctly, achieving high results.

Trusted content

Content is the first factor to consider when buying UI design books. Books with verified content are the best choice for you. So how is the book’s content trustworthy?

Through researching through social networking forums, relatives, or friends, you can quickly know precisely if the book is of good quality or not.

Follow up feedback

Based on the feedback from previous buyers, you will accurately judge the book’s quality. It will help if you read many reviews to have a complete and accurate view of the product content.

FAQs

Who is the best UI designer in the world?

Shaheer is the best user interface designer in the world. He started his career as a technical writer and later moved on to work as a UI designer.

What are the 3 Golden Rules of UI design?

The 3 golden rules of user interface design are:

  • Make it comfortable to interact with a product.
  • Reduce cognitive load.
  • Make the UI consistent.

Does UI design require coding?

User interface design does not require writing code. But, if you have programming skills, it will be better for UI design career development.

What are Norman’s 7 principles?

Norman’s 7 principles are:

  • Simplify task structure
  • Make everything visible
  • Make the right map
  • Converting limitations into advantages
  • Design for error
  • When all else fails – normalize.
  • Combines both actual world knowledge and imagination

Is UI design a promising career?

UI design is an outstanding career, offering plenty of growth opportunities and a competitive salary.

Final Thoughts

The list provide unique insights to help you grow into a great UI designer. To find the right book title, you need to consider details of content, feedback, and author.

After much proofreading, The Design of Everyday Things and Digital Design Essentials are the two complete books I recommend.

Thank you for reading!