The Best Books on Product Design Every Designer Must Read

Whether you’re just starting out or have been designing for years, there’s always something new to learn in product design.

Books are a great way to grow your skills. They’re packed with insights, inspiration, and tips to help you stay creative and keep up with the latest trends.

Picking the right books can make a big difference. They can help you refine your design process, improve your skills, and even spark game-changing ideas.

So in this blog, we’ve rounded up some of the best books on product design. Whether you want to level up your creativity or make your designs more user-friendly, these reads will give you plenty of valuable takeaways.

Best Books on Product Design

Here’s a closer look at each book, what it covers, and why it’s worth reading.

1. The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

This book is a must-read for anyone in design. Don Norman explores why some products feel intuitive while others are frustrating. He introduces simple but powerful concepts like affordances (how something should be used) and feedback (how users know their action worked). The book is full of real-world examples, from doors that confuse people to kitchen appliances with terrible interfaces.

What makes this book special is that it goes beyond just digital products. It explains the psychology of human behavior and how people interact with the world around them. If you’ve ever wondered why some designs feel effortless while others leave you scratching your head, this book will change how you see everyday objects—and your own design work.

2. Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug

A short, fun, and practical book on usability, Don’t Make Me Think simplifies the concept of web and app navigation. Steve Krug keeps things straightforward: if users have to stop and think about how to use something, the design isn’t working. He shares real-world insights on making interfaces intuitive, breaking down what makes a website or product easy to use.

The best part? Krug doesn’t just give theories—he shows real examples of websites that work (and those that don’t). He also introduces a no-fuss approach to usability testing that any team can do without a huge budget. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or product manager, this book will help you build products that people love using.

3. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

Ever wonder why you keep opening the same apps every day? Hooked explains the psychology behind habit-forming products. Nir Eyal breaks it down into four steps—Trigger, Action, Reward, and Investment—showing how companies like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok get users to keep coming back.

The book is not just about business tactics—it also dives into behavioral psychology, explaining how habits are built and how to design experiences that encourage engagement. Whether you’re working on an app, a website, or even a physical product, Hooked gives you practical tools to make your product more engaging. It also raises ethical questions, making you think about the responsibility designers have when creating habit-forming experiences.

4. Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp

Jake Knapp’s Sprint offers a practical, step-by-step guide to rapid prototyping and problem-solving through a focused five-day process. This book is all about getting ideas off the paper and into tangible prototypes quickly, which allows teams to test concepts, gather feedback, and iterate without lengthy delays. 

The clear, concise process detailed in the book has empowered countless design teams to innovate faster, reduce wasted time, and confidently make design decisions. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone looking to inject efficiency and creativity into their workflow.

5. Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams by Jeff Gothelf

Lean UX takes a collaborative approach to design, emphasizing iterative processes and continuous feedback. Jeff Gothelf presents a framework where design and development work hand-in-hand to create products that evolve through constant user input. This book breaks down the traditional silos between design and development, offering practical advice on how to integrate lean principles into your workflow. 

One of the biggest takeaways from this book is the importance of measuring design success. Instead of waiting until the end of a project to find out if a product works, Lean UX emphasizes continuous learning, iteration, and improvement. If you work with developers, product managers, or business teams, this book is a great way to bridge the gap between design and business strategy.

6. Change by Design by Tim Brown

Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, shares how design thinking can be applied beyond aesthetics to improve businesses, products, and even social issues.

The book is filled with stories of how companies have used design thinking to innovate, from reimagining healthcare services to improving global education. It encourages designers to think beyond pixels and interfaces and see design as a problem-solving mindset. If you’re interested in how creativity can be used to tackle real-world challenges, this book is both inspiring and practical.

7. A Project Guide to UX Design by Russ Unger & Carolyn Chandler

If you’re new to UX design, this book is a great roadmap. It covers everything from research and wireframing to working with developers and launching a product. The authors break down the UX process into simple, actionable steps, making it easy to follow.

What sets this book apart is that it doesn’t just focus on design—it also covers project management, communication, and working with teams. It’s great for designers who need to collaborate with different departments and want to improve their workflow. Whether you’re freelancing or working in a company, this book gives you a solid foundation in UX project management.

8. Lean Startup by Eric Ries

While Lean Startup is not strictly a design book, its principles have had a profound impact on product design. Eric Ries introduces the concept of rapid experimentation and validated learning, encouraging teams to iterate quickly based on real user feedback. 

For designers, The Lean Startup is a game-changer because it shows how to avoid wasting time on products that don’t work. Instead of spending months perfecting a design before launch, Ries emphasizes quick iterations, customer feedback, and data-driven decision-making. If you work in a startup or on a fast-moving product team, this book will help you build things that actually matter.

9. Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan

Ever wonder what makes a product truly great? Marty Cagan dives into how the best tech companies create products that people love. It’s packed with insights from real companies like Google, Amazon, and Netflix, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at their product strategies.

The book covers everything from understanding customer needs to working with product managers, engineers, and business teams. It’s an essential read for designers who want to go beyond aesthetics and understand the bigger picture of how successful products are built.

10. Refactoring UI by Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger

Refactoring UI is a hands-on guide for designers looking to improve their visual interfaces with practical, actionable advice. Wathan and Schoger break down the process of refining UI elements into simple, digestible tips that can lead to significant improvements in design quality. 

The book focuses on making subtle adjustments that enhance the overall look and feel of digital products, ensuring that every interface is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally effective. It’s an invaluable resource for those who want to fine-tune their designs and create visually compelling user experiences.

11. Laws of UX: Design Principles for Persuasive and Ethical Products by Jon Yablonski

Jon Yablonski’s Laws of UX presents a set of design principles that help create products that are both persuasive and ethically sound. The book delves into how these principles can be applied to influence user behavior without compromising on ethics. It offers a balanced view on how to craft engaging, user-friendly interfaces while maintaining a commitment to ethical design. 

This thoughtful approach ensures that designers can build products that are not only effective but also responsible and considerate of the end user.

12. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk

Understanding human behavior is key to good design. This book explains things like how people read screens, what grabs their attention, and how they make decisions.

Each chapter is short and to the point, making it an easy read. It’s filled with psychology-backed insights that can instantly improve your design work. Whether you’re designing websites, apps, or even print materials, this book helps you understand what really makes users tick.

13. Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro

In Design is a Job, Mike Monteiro offers an honest look at the business side of design. He covers everything from managing client relationships to navigating contracts and growing as a professional in the design industry. This book is filled with practical, no-nonsense advice that is essential for anyone serious about making a career in design. 

If you freelance or work with clients, this book is a must-read. It teaches you how to manage expectations, communicate clearly, and navigate the business world as a designer. Monteiro’s writing is witty and straightforward, making it an enjoyable read.

14. Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

A super practical guide on usability testing. Steve Krug shows you how to run quick, simple tests to catch design issues before they become big problems.

What makes this book great is that it strips away the complexity of usability testing. No expensive labs or fancy tools are needed—just real people and common sense. If you want to improve your designs with real user feedback, this book is an invaluable resource.

How to Apply These Insights to Your Design Career

Taking all these valuable lessons and integrating them into your daily work is the key to growth. Here are a few simple strategies:

• Schedule Regular Reading Time: Dedicate a specific time each week to read and reflect on the insights from these books.
  
• Experiment and Implement: Try incorporating one new idea from a book into your next project, whether it’s a quick usability test or a design sprint.
  
• Share and Discuss: Engage with online communities or local meetups where you can discuss your insights and learn from other designers.

These habits not only improve your skills but also keep you inspired and connected with the broader design community.

Additional Resources for Product Designers

While books are a fantastic way to learn, don’t stop there! Complement your reading with these additional resources:

• Podcasts: Listen to shows focused on design, creativity, and technology.
  
• Webinars & Online Courses: Engage in interactive sessions led by industry experts.
  
• Blogs & Communities: Follow design blogs and join online forums to exchange ideas and gather feedback.
  

These extra resources will help you stay current and continuously improve your product design skills.

Conclusion

Investing time in reading is one of the best ways to grow as a designer. The 14 best books on product design featured in this blog cover essential topics like usability principles, design thinking, product strategy, and user psychology—all crucial for creating successful products.

Each book provides valuable insights to help you improve your UX and UI design skills, think more strategically, and create products that truly resonate with users. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your design process, understand user behavior, or build products that truly resonate, these reads will give you the knowledge and confidence to innovate.

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