FOR DESIGNERS IN THE FIELD OR IN THE MAKING

Some of you have been asking for a list of the best design books and resources for development as a growing designer.  So, here are enjoyable resources for best practices in Design & Design Thinking:

1. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte

Ed Tufte is known as the da Vinci of Information Visualization. This book is full of visual content and will prompt questions regarding 1) necessity of content 2) usability and 3) effectiveness of certain design methodologies. His other notable books include: Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative and Beautiful Evidence. His wife, Virginia Tufte, also wrote a great read: Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style.

2. Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior by Indi Young

You may work independently, but you’re not alone. You work in a complex web of constant connectivity, and just because you’re coding or designing doesn’t give you an excuse to forget how to communicate with the rest of us. Independent designers appreciate this strong guide to group design; it’s a resource on communication and design thinking.

3. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change by Diana Kaplin Whitney

All good designers interact with clients and design daily work flows (whether they realize it or not).  This book offers a proactive approach to listening well through any process.

4. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

Are you charging too much for your work? Too little? The Guild’s Handbook is the definitive book on understanding industry pricing standards, ethical guidelines and best practices for design work in North America.  I found this valuable reference back in college, and I continually refer to the latest GAG Guidelines.

5. The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO’s Strategies for Defeating the Devil’s Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization by Tom Kelley

What do designers have in common with Anthropologists? Experimenters? Hurdlers? Caregivers? Storytellers? These are the people you want to have around you or the characteristics you need to possess. Kelley unpacks 10 faces of innovation while telling stories from IDEO’s experiences.

6. Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design by William Lidwell

This maybe the strongest design book I’ve ever seen.  Driven by principles, Lidwell outlines the subtle and obvious details of design that artists and designers must intimately understand in a beautiful, simple layout. (This would be a great resource for a higher ed design course.)

7. Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge

Most designers are working on making things 1) look good and 2) function flawlessly.  That sounds simple enough, right?  The best designers have an informed perspective on the history of computers, design and interaction. This history enriches their practice.  I read this hardback in one sitting, and I found it to be a refreshing reflection on the last forty years of innovation and development (includes DVD with rich interview content!).

I would love to hear what you learn or have found interesting from any of these books, and I’m also on the hunt for new resources! Be sure to let me know if you discover a great read. katrina [at] katrinawillis [dot] com

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”