5 books to get better at product design

Don't Make Me Think

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Smart Product Design

The Fundamentals of Product Design

The first thing that catches your eye when you shop for a product is its design. Its functionality, design features and many uses are what you look for. While there are expert voices on the same, there are a host of books that assist you in designing your product the right way.

The Design of Everyday Things

Author: Don Norman

The book is considered important because Don is known for advocating user-centered designs. It delves into what constitutes a good design and the author’s explanation comes with examples of products that he has used in real life. It also looks at the thought process behind interaction with products.

The book explores the desirability for a good design, and explains how the failure of a product’s usability is often connected to its design. It talks about function and control, how to make things visible, and how to make good use of limitations.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Author: Nir Eyal

What gets people interested in some products? In ‘Hooked...’, Nir explores the Hook Model, a four-step process, which most successful companies use in their products. The book talks at length about user engagement and how to create commercially-successful products. It includes stories from habit-forming products like iPhone, Twitter, Pinterest, and others.

Smart Product Design

Publisher: Sendpoints

The book elaborates on smart designs after the development of science and technology. It dives into the world of design by sharing insights from industry experts. The book makes for a thorough read on innovations in health, well-being, smart home, sports and fitness and travel. Interviews and about 100 products with their details and concept sketches have been shared here. It tells about the art of balancing aesthetics with utility.

Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (Voices That Matter)

Author: Steve Krug

This one is a favourite among web designers and developers. Steve with his witty, knowledgeable and practical inputs, and illustrations, has communicated about informative designs. With to-date examples and inputs on mobile usability, the book is often used as a reference for many web designing experts. It focuses on web and
mobile applications (read digital interfaces) and emphasises the importance and basics of usability testing.

The Fundamentals of Product Design

Author: Richard Morris

Featuring recent developments, such as crowdfunding, this new edition of the book concentrates on lifestyle-oriented products with an intrinsic product-based approach. It looks at the product design process, covering materials, manufacturing, idea generation, computer-aided design, engineering functions, product types, and market research.

With examples and case studies from well-known designers and studios across the globe like as Naoto Fukasawa, Matthew White, and Thomas Heatherwick, the book brings together additional references and web sources. This helps young designers to explore and understand the field. Along with images, the author uses an engaging tone in the book.

(These books are available on Amazon and Goodreads)