Non-design books for designers
You already know the design fundamentals. Don’t read another book that says the same thing.
If you’ve been in the design field long enough, you probably heard of Design of Everyday Things, About Face, Don’t Make Me Think, and Sprint. These are the most common books suggested to new designers, and for some, even experienced designers in the industry.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating on these books. In fact, the very first book that introduced me to user experience was Design of Everyday Things. It was an awesome read and helped me view the field in a lens that I didn’t understand before. And I feel extremely grateful I got to take a class with Don Norman back in college. Sometimes, I still reference some of the things he talks about that are straight from his book.
While these are classic design books, today I want to talk about books that are less talked about. In fact, these are not design books at all. But they help build the foundation of a strong designer. What are they? Soft skills. That’s right, because what good is a strong designer that lacks the skills to work with others, share ideas, collaborate and have strong people skills?
If you’re currently a designer, the knowledge you learn from these books will help you differentiate yourself from a good designer to a great one. And, if you’re new to the field, these books should give you a high level overview of the types of soft skills that are needed to succeed in the role.
#1 How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
If there’s one book you should read from this list, it should be How To Win Friends and Influence People. As designers, we collaborate effectively and purposefully with our team. Most new designers aren’t exposed to these environments besides group projects. This book teaches you how to handle situations differently, and most importantly, with kindness. Dale Carnegie’s advice is applicable in both your business and personal life, and this book has personally helped me become a much more effective collaborator and confident person.
#2 Thanks for the Feedback
by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
For most of my life, I was incredibly awkward at receiving feedback. Not only did I take negative feedback the wrong way, I also didn’t know how to take good feedback! Growing up, I was taught to be humble because it showed strength. This book demystifies why taking feedback can be confusing and offers frameworks and tools to with co-workers’s comments, performance evaluations, unsolicited feedback. This is especially applicable to design rituals such as design reviews or critiques that solicits feedback from many different opinions. Learn how to take it in.
#3 Never Split the Difference
by Chris Voss
No matter in business of personal life, you must learn to negotiate, whether it’s negotiating the salary of your first design job, buying a car, or sharing your design ideas to your team. Never Split The Difference teaches you that negotiation is a practice. In fact, it’s a skill most people learn in business school. As a designer, negotiation gets tough and more emotional when you share ideas and experiences you’ve worked on for months. Learn how to become an expert in negotiation and you can help sell your ideas more effectively.
#4 Made to Stick
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
How do you make ideas gain traction? Why are some designs cast aside? The Heath brothers provide insights on this phenomenon and provide a framework for those bent on creating ideas that are “sticky.” While this book focuses more on stories, it’s a pretty practical book that lays out how to create interest and make concrete images that stick with your customer. And as a designer it’ll help you find ways that ensure the experiences you’re creating also considers the marketing and sales needed to apply it to everyday life.
#5 Making of a Manager
by Julie Zhuo
Do you want to be a people management or stay as in individual contributor? One of life’s toughest questions. While people management may not be the path for everyone, Making of a Manager is a great book that gives a glimpse on what supporting a team looks like. What’s important to an organization? What do managers care about? Even if you want to stay as an IC, learning about the environment your managers operate under can help you help them, as well as for you to learn what effective leadership looks like.
Plus, Julie Zhuo was the former vice president of product design at Facebook and co-founder at Inspirit. Support our female design leaders!
#6 Rich Dad, Poor Dad
by Robert T. Kiyosaki
This list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include a finance book. Besides my human-interaction course, taking personal finance was one of the best decisions I made. We’re not business or finance majors, and most of don’t start thinking about money until we need to. If you get ready you don’t need to be ready.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad serves to build your foundational understanding of finances, and specifically how it applies to your personal life. I highly recommend this book as a starter for anyone interested in financial education, financial freedom, and learning how to make your money work for you!
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