6 UX Books That Will Change How You Design (and Think)
Strong UX fundamentals are more important than ever in a world of rapid prototyping, AI-driven design, and evolving digital expectations.
These six books offer timeless strategies for building intuitive, human-centered products, whether you're a team of one or leading multidisciplinary design efforts.
If you're serious about mastering the craft of UX, this curated list will accelerate your thinking, communication, and impact.
Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams
by Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden
Why You Should Read It:
Lean UX is a revolutionary approach to user experience design that prioritizes rapid iteration, collaboration, and outcome-driven development. Instead of heavy documentation, it emphasizes working, testing, and learning quickly inside Agile teams.
What You'll Learn:
Embrace continuous feedback instead of rigid project phases.
Focus on outcomes and user behaviors, not deliverables.
Design is a team sport — collaboration across disciplines is essential.
Who It's Perfect For:
UX designers working in Agile environments or startup ecosystems.
The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide
by Leah Buley
Why You Should Read It:
This is the essential handbook for solo UX practitioners navigating environments with low UX maturity. It offers practical tools, techniques, and survival strategies for building user-centered products without formal teams or resources.
What You'll Learn:
Small UX efforts can still make a significant impact.
Adapt research and design activities to your environment's constraints.
Advocate for UX through small wins and clever framing.
Who It's Perfect For:
Designers, researchers, and product managers operating as UX generalists.
Buy The User Experience Team of One on Amazon
UX Strategy: Product Strategy Techniques for Devising Innovative Digital Solutions
by Jaime Levy
Why You Should Read It:
Jaime Levy shows how to craft UX strategies that connect business goals, user needs, and competitive research into powerful digital products. It guides thinking bigger than screens — validating ideas and designing entire systems.
What You'll Learn:
UX strategy sits at the intersection of design thinking and business thinking.
Research competitors to identify differentiation opportunities.
Validate value propositions early and often.
Who It's Perfect For:
UX designers are looking to level up in product strategy roles.
Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience
by Tom Greever
Why You Should Read It:
Knowing how to design is only half the battle — the other half is communicating your decisions to stakeholders who might not speak "design." This book is a tactical guide to framing, presenting, and defending UX decisions without friction.
What You'll Learn:
Design rationale matters — it's not just about intuition.
Tailor your language to non-design audiences.
Build allies, not adversaries, during design reviews.
Who It's Perfect For:
UX practitioners who frequently present work to product managers, executives, and clients.
Buy Articulating Design Decisions on Amazon
The Design of Everyday Things
by Don Norman
Why You Should Read It:
This timeless classic introduced millions to human-centered design. Don Norman explores why simple objects (doors, switches, faucets) often frustrate users and what principles can guide intuitive design.
What You'll Learn:
Good design makes the user's following action obvious.
Affordances and signifiers help bridge user intuition and action.
Errors are design problems, not user faults.
Who It's Perfect For:
Anyone who creates experiences — digital, physical, or hybrid.
Buy The Design of Everyday Things on Amazon
Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by Steve Krug
Why You Should Read It:
Steve Krug's classic offers a practical, humorous, no-nonsense guide to web usability. It's short, readable in a few sittings, and packed with actionable advice for anyone working on digital products.
What You'll Learn:
Clarity beats cleverness every time.
Minimize cognitive load — users shouldn't have to "figure it out."
Usability testing doesn't have to be complicated to be valuable.
Who It's Perfect For:
Designers, developers, product managers, marketers — anyone building digital products.
Buy Don't Make Me Think, Revisited on Amazon
The best UX designers are not just practitioners, but also students of human behavior, communication, and systems thinking.
Start with one of these books, and you'll notice an immediate shift in your approach to creating for people.
Do you have a favorite UX book that changed the way you work?
Tweet me @_scottmay — I'd love to hear your recommendations.