Blog

The best UX design books to master the user experience (selection 2022)

Cover photo for the article : The best UX design books to master the user experience (selection 2022)

User experience (UX for short) is one of the most important aspects of web design and app development. If your UX is poor, users won’t stay on your site, making it hard to achieve your goals.

To create a successful website or app, you need to understand and apply UX best practices and design methods. The challenge ? Adopting a user-centered design.

UX Design is a very broad topic. Fortunately, there are a number of books that can help you learn basic and advanced UX design concepts. 

Whether you are a beginner or expert, here is a list of essential books that deserve a place in your library. Keep them nearby to make your next UX project a success.

Want to deepen your knowledge of UX Design and turn it into a career? Check out our UX design course, organized in collaboration with the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Stratégie de Design UX (A. Visonneau)

Are you new to UX? Are the words “Design Thinking”, “Sprint”, “AIDA” and “Shadowing” vague concepts for you? Then this first book will undoubtedly be a great gateway to the world of digital and user-centered design. Antoine Visonneau presents the main methodologies used toinclude the human being in design. The book is divided into 3 parts: innovation processes, product strategy based on user needs and experience design.

Why we love this book: the author manages to explain key concepts using simple words and examples. The illustrations make this book fun to read and easy to understand

L’UX Design en pratique (M. Wiesel et J. Cohen)

Published at the end of 2020, this book is aimed at readers who already have a basic understanding of UX design. It is a compilation of about thirty guides developed to help readers meet major professional challenges. Whether it’s how to conduct a workshop, overcoming difficulties meeting users or the best way to raise UX awareness in a company, this book provides concrete answers to key questions.

Why we love this book: the authors not only identify concrete problems and propose practical solutions, they also help readers analyze situations and empathize with customers, managers, colleagues and of course users!

UX Design et ergonomie des interfaces (JF Nogier & J. Leclerc)

This book has become a reference for people involved in screen design (UI/UX Designers, Developers). JF Nogier and J. Leclerc have been regularly updating this book – now on its 7th edition – for 20 years.

The principles of usability are explained with great clarity and examples. For beginners, it is an opportunity to become familiar with the terms used in graphic design. For the more advanced reader, this book provides the guidance needed to make informed design choices.

Why we love this book: the clear-cut recommendations! The authors give detailed ergonomic directions on graphic elements in a very structured way.

Mental Models (Indi Young)

What is a mental model? It is a method of analyzing, structuring and representing the user’s thought pattern, while defining the roadmap for solutions. Indi Young, a speaker at more than 40 conferences, presents her flagship tool for designing and planning products or services that truly meet the needs of users and the strategy of organizations.

Why we love this book:  the author illustrates her points using a very concrete example, the cinema. This allows the reader to follow the application of the methodology step by step. We also appreciate the tips and tricks designed to help adapt the mental model to various projects or organizations. 

Méthodes de Design UX (C. Lallemand et G. Gronier)

This work needs no introduction. It is the one we recommend to all of our UX students! Whether in electronic or paper format, this book is a constant source of inspiration and advice. The two authors, both hailing from the academic world, offer 30 guides covering all the techniques of UX design. Each guide is based on scientific foundations and offers a practical guide for detailed implementation. A must-read for anyone new to UX. 

Why we love this book: For this 2nd edition, the authors added “Guerilla” alternatives, offering solutions for teams that lack time or budget. We also appreciate the arguments provided to help convince managers and clients of the benefit of each method. 

BONUS : UX Research (B. Nunnally & D. Farkas)

And lastly, here is the English-language counterpart of the UX Design Methods book presented above. It offers a different perspective on the methodologies explained by C. Lallemand and G. Gronier. It also addresses more transversal aspects of UX, such as facilitation skills, communication skills or methodological choices, in a practical way.

Their unique perspective invites us to question the way we carry out our user research activities.

Why we love this book: it is a great resource for those wishing to specialize in user research. The testimonies and examples provided add substance to this reference tool.

UX Design FAQ

Who is UX Design for?

Users who want their website to be more functional thanks to the ergonomics of the interfaces.

Companies that want to develop their UX design so that users can find their products more quickly and easily.

For people focused on user experience design, interface ergonomics and web ergonomics and ux design professionals.

For those who wish to discover the world of UX designers but do not know anything about it yet. These books are a great place to start.

How to become a UX designer?

Look for books, online training and continuing education on interface usability and UX design.

Get inspired by famous designers and their interfaces.

How to find UX design experts?

Start by doing an online search for experts.

Read the best books on the market.

Analysing well-known UX projects.

Who are the best authors writing about UX today (in French and English)?

The list of French and international authors is long.

Here are a few of our favorites:

  • Jean François Nogier
  • Sylvie Daumal
  • Carine Lallemand
  • Josh Clark
  • Aaron Walter

When should you use UX design for your website project?

User experience design is present at every stage of the creation of a website: products, menu bar, interface ergonomics, web ergonomics, search tab, home page, blog, etc. There are many ways to strengthen your ux design.

By: Anais Team

These articles might also interest you

Cover AI Tools for UX

16/10/2024

The 7 Best AI Tools for UX in 2024

AI provides UX designers with powerful tools to meet rising user expectations. From rapidly analyzing massive amounts of data to instantly creating interfaces, AI is transforming every stage of the design process. We’ve selected 7 must-have AI tools that will save you time and help you streamline the creation of user experiences.

UX maturity EN

17/07/2024

UX maturity questionnaire: 5 keys to transforming the user experience

The importance of user experience (UX) in businesses is undeniable. According to McKinsey, companies that effectively integrate UX see a significant increase in their revenues and returns for shareholders. But how do you know where to start? A UX maturity questionnaire proves to be a crucial tool for evaluating and improving an organization’s UX practices.

UX Check EN

05/07/2024

UX Check: an efficient audit to improve the user experience

“Doing research takes time.” “We don’t have enough users.” These are common issues that come up when it comes to user-centered research. An easy solution: the UX Check, also known as ergonomic evaluation, heuristic analysis, ergonomic audit, usability analysis, expert review or usability assessment.

Cover photo UX DAYS 2023

28/04/2023

UX Days 2023 : how to use AI in my UX job (by Alexandre DEHON)

Anais Digital invites you to the UX Days that will be held in Paris on May 25 and 26, 2023. This event will bring together world-renowned user experience (UX) experts to discuss the latest trends and best practices in UX.
During this edition, Alexandre Dehon, UX expert at Anais Digital, will lead a workshop on “How to use AI in my UX job?”