Learning UX? Try the Design Book Approach!
by Raia Catacutan
Nothing beats learning by doing, especially in the craft of UX. Writer of “The Efficiency Paradox: What Big Data Can’t Do” and scholar Edward Tenner delights in the slowness and deliberateness of tasks that are intrinsically satisfying–such is the case in the intention of logging off and reading.
In the age of YouTube University and the emergence of short-form content such as blogs, articles, and forums for endless design resources, it’s about time to step away from the screen, return to old-school ways, and hit the books! Multiple studies on cognition and memory conducted by Ben-Yehudah & Eshet-Alkalai and Singer and Alexander mention the effectiveness of actively reading trusted paperbacks with highlighting and annotating tools for increased reading comprehension and retention.
Immerse yourself in all things design, and gain a stronger grasp of UX from level one with these three design books!
Level 1: The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
Satisfy your hunger for design! At its core, Cognitive Scientist Don Norman proposes that good design is a combination of discoverability and understanding because not all things designed have a physical structure or counterpart. Furthermore, good design understands the culture of users everywhere–what is natural for one user may be new to another.
So buckle up and sit tight through seven chapters that shed light on making things “visible” to the eye, combining function and control as observed in nature’s everyday relationships, and using constraints effectively to guide users “to the right action, on the right control, at the right time.”
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Level 2: The Practitioner’s Guide to User Experience Design by Luke Miller
Explore this in-depth guide complete with diagrams and illustrations as you keep your head afloat in all things UX! To see through the user’s eyes, we must use constraints–actions within a system that limit a user–creatively! The pages feel like you are glossing over National Geographic UX Design Director Luke Miller’s diary entries as the text is anecdotal. Miller dedicates an entire chapter to “innovation not for innovation’s sake”, which champions the “why” an innovation is being introduced in the first place: the advantages of changes made to an existing product and the introduction of a new one.
It’s no surprise that both budding and professional UX designers wear several hats, whether they are part of a team or work alone. In terms of control, there is a difference between working on assigned tasks as part of a team and dividing every process into chunks that fit your personal approach. With this, the wise words of a UX design veteran can help!
Level 3: The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide by Leah Buley
Introverted designers and one-person teams who want to learn how to get better at working efficiently–unite!
Lovevery User Research Director Leah Buley covers the trials and tribulations of solo UX work, providing a ready reference full of practical methods that she managed to squeeze in while switching jobs and juggling parenthood. What is more interesting than the book’s outline is its “How to use this book” portion that addresses all the FAQs that may be buzzing through every designer’s head: it won’t guarantee a successful user experience team of one, but it rethinks the designer ethos which is 50% philosophy and 50% practice.
There’s a book for every step in the UX learning curve. It is a matter of finding titles that suit your needs, challenging what you already know–allowing yourself to discover new insights to improve a project, be it a landing page, website, or portfolio update!
Old school isn’t all that inefficient. After all, it is part of the creative visual design process to de-stress and unwind with a good book–or three.
