 |
|
|
Books & People
Books, People
Archives
Book Reviews
- A Whole New Mind
- Access by Design
- Bringing Design to Software
- Contextual Design
- Cultivating Communities of Practice
- Design Meets Disability new
- Design Research – Methods and Perspectives
- Design Research – Methods and Perspectives (2) new
- Design Thinking
- Designing Interactions
- Designing the User Interface (5th Edition)
- Designing the User Interface (4th Edition)
- Digital Ground
- Effective Prototyping for Software Makers
- Elements of Graph Design
- GUI Bloopers
- GUI Bloopers 2.0
- Handbook of Usability Testing (2nd Edition)
- Hertzian Tales
- How Designers Think
- In the Bubble
- Information Dashboard Design
- Information Design
- Information Visualization
- Information Visualization (2nd Edition)
- Introduction to Information Visualization new
- Leonardo's Laptop
- Making the Web Work
- Observing the User Experience
- Paper Prototyping
- Participatory IT Design
- Press On
- Processing
- Scientific Collaboration on the Internet
- Shaping Things
- Sketching User Experiences
- Systemisches Design
- Technology as Experience
- The Craft of Information Visualization
- The Design of Everyday Things
- The Plenitude
- The International Handbook of Creativity
- The Laws of Simplicity
- The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction
- Thoughtful Interaction Design
- Understanding Your Users
- Universal Principles of Design
- Universal Usability
- Usability-Management bei SAP-Projekten
- Visual Thinking for Design
- Web Bloopers
- Windows and Mirrors
- Writing Effective Uses Cases
Links & More
 |
Print version |
Related Links |
|
 |
Columns |
|
Featured People |
Background Links |
|
|
Books |
|
People |
Featured Books (Archive)
Updated: February 2, 2010
Here we compile the short presentations of new books from the Book & People page. The books appear in the order in which they have been presented on this Website.
See also the Books page for our book list.
Hartmut Esslinger: A Fine Line – How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business For the first time, Hartmut Esslinger, internationally acclaimed designer and founder of frog design, inc., reveals the secrets to better business through better design. Having spent forty years helping build the world's most recognizable brands, Esslinger shows how business leaders and designers can join forces to build creative strategies that will ensure a more profitable and sustainable future. A Fine Line shares the amazing story of Esslinger's transformation
from industrial design wunderkind to a global innovation powerhouse,
while detailing the very real challenges facing businesses in the new
global economy. Offering companies far more than a temporary innovation
booster, Esslinger shows how he and frog build creative design into the
framework of an organization's competitive strategy, the same approach
that has worked so well for leading edge companies such as Sony, Louis
Vuitton, Lufthansa, Disney, Hewlett-Packard, SAP, Microsoft, and Apple.
SAP employees will find two pages in the book telling the enjoy story
and a few familiar names... Hartmut Esslinger (2009). A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business. Jossey-Bass • ISBN: 978-0470451021 (German version: Schwungrat: Wie Design-Strategien die Zukunft der Wirtschaft gestalten. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH • ISBN :978-3527504923) |
Todd Zaki Warfel: Prototyping – A Practitioner's Guide Prototyping is a great way to communicate the intent of a design both clearly and effectively. Prototypes help you to flesh out design ideas, test assumptions, and gather real-time feedback from users. With this book, Todd Zaki Warfel shows how prototypes are more than
just a design tool by demonstrating how they can help you market a product,
gain internal buy-in, and test feasibility with your development team. Todd Zaki Warfel (2009). Prototyping – A Practitioner's Guide. Rosenfeld Media • ISBN: 978-1933820217 |
Riccardo Mazza: Introduction to Information Visualization Information Visualization is a relatively young field that is acquiring more and more consensus in both academic and industrial environments. This concise introduction to the subject explores the use of computer-supported interactive graphical representations to explain data and amplify cognition. Written in a lively, yet rigorous, style the book explores ways of communicating ideas or facts about data, and shows how to validate hypotheses, and facilitate the discovery of new facts via exploration. The concepts outlined in the book are illustrated in a simple and thorough
manner, building a reference for those situations in which graphic representation
of information, generated and assisted by the use of computer tools,
can help in visualizing ideas, data and concepts. With suggestions for
setting communications systems based on, or availing of, graphic representations,
this textbook illustrates cases, situations, tools and methods which
help make the graphic representations of information effective and efficient. Riccardo Mazza (2009). Introduction to Information Visualization. Springer. ISBN: 978-1848002180 |
Robert Schumacher: Handbook of Global User Research User research is global – yet despite its pervasiveness, practitioners are not all well equipped to work globally. What may have worked in Nigeria may not be accepted in Russia, may be done differently in Brazil, may partly work in China, and may completely fail in Kuwait. And what often goes less noticed, but can be equally vexing are technical, logistical and planning issues such as hiring qualified translators, payment procedures, travel issues, setting up facilities and finding test participants. The Handbook of Global User Research is the first book to
focus on global user research. The book collects insight from UX professionals
from nine countries and, following a typical project timeline, presents
practical insights into the preparation, fieldwork, analysis and reporting,
and overall project management for global user research projects.
Any user experience professional that works on global projects – including
those new to the field, UX veterans who need information on this expanding
aspect of user research, and students – will need this book to
do their job effectively. Robert Schumacher (2009). Handbook of Global User Research. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 978-0123748522 |
Dan Saffer: Designing for Interaction Designing for Interaction is an introduction to the practice of interaction design, the design discipline behind such products as the iPhone and other touchscreen devices and innovative Web sites like Flickr. Aimed at new practitioners and students – as well as user experience professionals and developers – it is a comprehensive look at the discipline, from current methods to its future. This guide takes a holistic approach looking at interaction design for the Web, software, and devices. This new edition adds information on design strategy, extended research analysis, conceptual models, brainstorming, and user testing and development. More than just a how-to manual, this is the only book on the subject
coming from a design rather that computer science background. Filled
with tips, real-world projects, and interviews of leading practitioners
such as Marc Rettig, Brenda Laurel and Hugh Dubberly, the book promises
readers to get a solid grounding in everything they need to successfully
tackle interaction design. Dan Saffer (2009). Designing for Interaction (2nd Edition). New Riders Press. ISBN: 978-0321643391 |
Graham Pullin: Design Meets Disability In Design Meets Disability, Graham Pullin shows us how design and disability can inspire each other. In the Eameses' work there was a healthy tension between cut-to-the-chase problem solving and more playful explorations. Pullin offers examples of how design can meet disability today. Why, he asks, shouldn't hearing aids be as fashionable as eyewear? What new forms of braille signage might proliferate if designers kept both sighted and visually impaired people in mind? Can simple designs avoid the need for complicated accessibility features? Can such emerging design methods as "experience prototyping" and "critical design" complement clinical trials? Pullin also presents a series of interviews with leading designers about
specific disability design projects, including stepstools for people
with restricted growth, prosthetic legs (and whether they can be both
honest and beautifully designed), and text-to-speech technology with
tone of voice. When design meets disability, the diversity of complementary,
even contradictory, approaches can enrich each field. Graham Pullin (2009). Design Meets Disability. The MIT Press. ISBN: 978-0262162555 |
Hasso Plattner, Christoph Meinel & Ulrich Weinberg: Design Thinking (in German) In multidisciplinary teams astoundingly creative processes can be stimulated. But how can this be accomplished? The authors, including SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner, propose to use Design Thinking, a groundbreaking method to spur innovation. In their book of the same name, Design Thinking, they demonstrate how you can think creatively and in a user-oriented way and thus are able to create innovative, market-oriented products. The method is comprised of the following steps:
Design Thinking – the first book about the Design Thinking method – combines
the craft of engineers with creativity in an impressing manner. Hasso Plattner, Christoph Meinel & Ulrich Weinberg (2009). Design Thinking. mi-Wirtschaftsbuch. ISBN-10: 3868800131, ISBN-13: 978-3868800135 |
Ben Shneiderman, Catherine Plaisant, Maxine Cohen & Steven Jacobs: Designing the User Interface (5th Edition) The much-anticipated fifth edition of the all-time classic textbook Designing
the User Interface is a totally updated resource with extensive
fresh material and references in every chapter. The opening more ambitiously
positions user interfaces as the critical determinant of consumer product
and professional tool success. The authors have also been getting
bolder in claiming HCI's role for successes such as cell phones, iPhones,
YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, etc. Similarly in the afterword, they
take on the concerns of social impact and eight enduring controversies
in our field such as user control versus autonomous agents and 2D versus
3D visualizations. The authors use a full page wordle display for each
chapter opening – these displays really show that each chapter
is about users but each has a distinct set of terms, wonderfully
rendered by Jonathan Feinberg's clever program wordle. Ben Shneiderman, Catherine Plaisant, Maxine Cohen & Steven Jacobs (2009). Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction (5th ed). Pearson Addison-Wesley. ISBN-10: 0321537351, ISBN-13: 978-0321537355 1 See the book in the book list... • Book Website • Read the Review |
Dana Chisnell & Jeffrey Rubin: Handbook of Usability Testing (2nd Edition) Whether its software, a cell phone, or a refrigerator, your customer
wants – no, expects – your product to be easy to use. This
fully revised handbook provides clear, step-by-step guidelines to help
you test your product for usability. Completely updated with current
industry best practices, it can give you that all-important marketplace
advantage: products that perform the way users expect. You'll learn to
recognize factors that limit usability, decide where testing should occur,
set up a test plan to assess goals for your products usability, and more. Dana Chisnell & Jeffrey Rubin (2008). Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and Conduct Effective Tests (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN-10: 0470185481, ISBN-13: 978-0470185483 |
Kim Goodwin: Designing for the Digital Age Designing successful products and services in the digital age requires
a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in interaction design, visual
design, industrial design, and other disciplines. It also takes the ability
to come up with the big ideas that make a desirable product or service,
as well as the skill and perseverance to execute on the thousand small
ideas that get your design into the hands of users. It requires expertise
in project management, user research, and consensus-building. Designing
for the Digital Age addresses all of these and more with detailed
how-to information, real-life examples, and exercises. Topics include
assembling a design team, planning and conducting user research, analyzing
your data and turning it into personas, using scenarios to drive requirements
definition and design, collaborating in design meetings, evaluating and
iterating your design, and documenting finished design in a way that
works for engineers and stakeholders alike. Kim Goodwin (2009). Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services. Wiley. ISBN-10: 0470229101, ISBN-13: 978-0470229101 |
Gary M. Olson, Ann Zimmerman & Nathan Bos (Eds.): Scientific Collaboration on the Internet Modern science is increasingly collaborative, as signaled by rising
numbers of coauthored papers, papers with international coauthors,
and multi-investigator grants. Historically, scientific collaborations
were carried out by scientists in the same physical location – the
Manhattan Project of the 1940s, for example, involved thousands of
scientists gathered on a remote plateau in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Today, information and communication technologies allow cooperation
among scientists from far-flung institutions and different disciplines. Scientific
Collaboration on the Internet provides both broad and in-depth
views of how new technology is enabling novel kinds of science and
engineering collaboration. The book offers commentary from notable
experts in the field along with case studies of large-scale collaborative
projects, past and ongoing. |
Gary M. Olson, Ann Zimmerman & Nathan Bos (Eds.) (2008). Scientific Collaboration on the Internet. The MIT Press. ISBN-10: 0262151200, ISBN-13: 978-0262151207 |
Nevin Berger, Michael Arent, Jonathan Arnowitz & Fred Sampson: Effective Prototyping with Excel Although recognized as a key to the design process, prototyping often
falls victim to budget cuts, deadlines, or lack of access to sophisticated
tools. This can lead to sloppy and ineffective prototypes or the abandonment
of them altogether. Rather than lose this important step, people are
turning to Microsoft Excel? to create effective, simple, and inexpensive
prototypes. Conveniently, the software is available to nearly everyone,
and most are proficient in its basic functionality. Effective Prototyping
with Excel offers how-to guidance on how everyone can use basic
Excel skills to create prototypes – ranging from narrative wire
frames to hi-fidelity prototypes. A wide array of software design problems
and business demands are solved via practical step-by-step examples
and illustrations. |
Nevin Berger, Michael Arent, Jonathan Arnowitz & Fred Sampson (2009). Effective Prototyping with Excel: A Practical Handbook for Developers and Designers (Interactive Technologies). Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN-10: 0120885824, ISBN-13: 978-0120885824 |
Ben Fry: Visualizing Data
Ben Fry (2008). Visualizing Data. O'Reilly. ISBN-10: 0596514557, ISBN-13: 978-0596514556 (Paperback)
|
Bill Buxton: Sketching User Experiences – Getting the Design Right and the Right Design
Hardly a day goes by that we don't see an announcement for some new
product or technology that is going to make our lives easier, solve some
or all of our problems, or simply make the world a better place. However,
the reality is that few of these products survive, much less deliver
on their promise. But are we learning from these expensive mistakes?
Rather than rethink the underlying process that brings these products
to market, the more common strategy seems to be the shotgun method, that
is, keep blasting away in the hope that one of the pellets will eventually
hit the bull's eye. This book's goal is to help with this problem: to
inspire and encourage HCI and other design professionals to try new methods,
test themselves with the exercises and projects, and see an improvement
in innovative interaction design that works. Bill Buxton (2008). Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN-10: 0123740371, ISBN-13: 978-0123740373 See the book in the book list... • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Colin Ware: Visual Thinking for Design
Increasingly, designers need to present information in ways that aid
their audiences thinking process. Fortunately, results from the relatively
new science of human visual perception provide valuable guidance. In Visual
Thinking: For Design, Colin Ware takes what we now know about perception,
cognition, and attention and transforms it into concrete advice that
designers can directly apply. He demonstrates how designs can be considered
as tools for cognition – extensions of the viewers brain in much
the same way that a hammer is an extension of the users hand. Experienced
professional designers and students alike will learn how to maximize
the power of the information tools they design for the people who use
them. Colin Ware (2008). Visual Thinking: For Design . Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN-10: 0123708966, ISBN-13: 978-0123708960 |
Alan Cooper, Robert M. Reimann & Dave Cronin: About Face 3.0
Alan Cooper, Robert M. Reimann & Dave Cronin (2007). About Face 3.0: The Essentials of Design. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 0470084111 (Paperback) |
Rich Gold: The Plenitude – Creativity, Innovation, and Making Stuff
According to John Seeley Brown, this small book "is a gem that
will shape your way of seeing and thinking about the world forever." Rich,
who died in 2003, was, as Brown puts it, "one of the true visionaries
of Xerox PARC and this unique book, in both its form and content, provides
a window into a brilliant and incredibly imaginative mind at work." Gold
writes his book from the seemingly contradictory perspectives of an artist,
scientist, designer, and engineer – all professions pursued by
him, sometimes simultaneously, in the course of his career – and
illustrates it with witty cartoons. Gold, Rich (2007). The Plenitude: Creativity, Innovation, and Making Stuff. The MIT Press. ISBN-10: 0262072890, ISBN-13: 978-0262072892 |
Harold Thimbleby: Press On – Principles of Interaction Programming
Interactive systems and devices, from mobile phones to office copiers,
do not fulfill their potential for a wide variety of reasons – not
all of them technical. In his book, Thimbleby shows that we can design
better interactive systems and devices if we draw on sound computer science
principles. While sound programming concepts improve device design, Press
On also provides the insights, concepts, and programming tools to
improve usability. Harold Thimbleby (2007). Press On: Principles of Interaction Programming.The MIT Press. ISBN-10: 0262201704, ISBN-13: 978-0262201704 |
Casey Reas & Ben Fry: Processing – A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists
This book is an introduction to the concepts of computer programming
within the context of visual arts. It offers a comprehensive reference
and text for Processing (www.processing.org),
an open source programming language that can be used by students, artists,
designers, architects, researchers, and anyone to wants to program images,
animation, and interactivity. Tutorial units make the bulk of the book. Casey Reas & Ben Fry (2007). Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists. The MIT Press. ISBN-10: 0262182629, ISBN-13: 978-0262182621 See the book in the book list... • Processing Website • Read the review |
Jeff Johnson: GUI Bloopers 2.0 – Common User Interface Design Don'ts and Dos
A major revision of a classic reference, GUI Bloopers 2.0 looks
at user interface design bloopers from commercial software, Websites,
Web applications, and information appliances, explaining how intelligent,
well-intentioned professionals make these mistakes – and how you
can avoid them. While equipping you with the minimum of theory, author
Jeff Johnson presents the reality of interface design in an entertaining,
anecdotal, and instructive way. Jeff Johnson (2007). GUI Bloopers 2.0: Common User Interface Design Don'ts and Dos. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 0123706432 See the book in the book list... • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Petra Abele, Jörn Hurtienne, & Jochen Prümper: Usability Management bei SAP-Projekten. Grundlagen – Vorgehen – Methoden (in German) Until now, no dedicated procedure for the usability management of
SAP projects was available, neither for consultants nor for decision
makers. Nevertheless, enterprises take topics, such as user productivity,
total cost of ownership of an SAP system, as well as occupational health
and safety, seriously. Therefore, in the course of a perennial project,
a procedural model and a qualification program for SAP consultants
and company decision makers were developed, which cover the practice
of usability management of SAP projects. In the book, you will find
ways to enhance system productivity by letting users participate in
the system design, and to react to user requirements in a professional
manner. (The book includes a chapter written by SAP User Experience
colleagues Ulrich Kreichgauer and Gerd Waloszek.) Petra Abele, Jörn Hurtienne, & Jochen Prümper (2007). Usability Management bei SAP-Projekten. Grundlagen – Vorgehen – Methoden. Vieweg. ISBN: 383480244 |
Robert Spence: Information Visualization (2nd Edition) This is a fully revised textbook on the rapidly growing field of information
visualization. Its emphasis is on real-world examples and applications
of computer-generated and interactive visualization. Information visualization
deals with representing concepts and data in a meaningful way. Depending
on the medium used, information can be visualized in either static
(e.g. a graph on a printed page) or dynamic forms. This book is appropriate
for courses in information visualization, human-computer interaction,
interaction design, and computer graphics. Robert Spence (2007). Information Visualization (2nd Edition). Prentice-Hall (Pearson). ISBN: 0132065509 See the book in the book list... • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Stephen Few: Information Dashboard Design Dashboards have become popular in recent years as uniquely powerful
tools for communicating important information at a glance. Although
dashboards are potentially powerful, this potential is rarely realized.
The greatest display technology in the world won't solve this if you
fail to use effective visual design. And if a dashboard fails to tell
you precisely what you need to know in an instant, you'll never use
it, even if it's filled with cute gauges, meters, and traffic lights.
This book will teach you the visual design skills you need to create
dashboards that communicate clearly, rapidly, and compellingly. Stephen Few (2006). Information Dashboard Design. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0596100167 |
Jonathan Lazar (Ed.): Universal Usability Universal Usability describes the goal of designing computer interfaces
that are easy for all to use. It is a concept which many decry as elusive,
impossible or impractical, but this book, which addresses usability
issues for a number of diverse user groups, proves that there is no
challenge in interface design that cannot be addressed. The book examines
innovative and groundbreaking research and practice, and provides a
practical overview of a number of successful projects which have addressed
a need for specific user populations. Jonathan Lazar (2007). Universal Usability. Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 0470027274 |
Sarah Horton: Access by Design – A Guide to Universal Usability for Web Designers In Access by Design: A Guide to Universal Usability for Web Designers,
Sarah Horton describes a design methodology that addresses accessibility
requirements but then goes beyond. As a result, designers learn how
to optimize page designs to work more effectively for more users, disabled
or not. Working through each of the main functional features of Web
sites, she provides clear principles for using HTML and CSS to deal
with elements such as text, forms, images, and tables, illustrating
each with an example drawn from the real world. Through these guidelines,
Sarah makes a convincing case that good design principles benefit all
users of the Web. Sarah Horton (2005). Access by Design. New Riders Press. ISBN: 032131140X See the book in the book list... • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Josef Köble: Developing Accessible Applications with SAP NetWeaver (Entwicklung barrierefreier Software mit SAP NetWeaver) This book, put together by SAP User Experience colleagues, is a complete
reference for developing accessible software applications with SAP NetWeaver.
It describes the requirements for accessible business software and explains
the concepts and development based on tools, such as the ABAP Workbench
and NW Developer Studio. The authors cover the development with classical
Dynpros as well as with Web Dynpro (ABAP und Java) and with SAP Interactive
Forms by Adobe. In addition, the book explains how applications can be
tested and describes their configuration on the frontend as well as the
backend side. All in all, readers obtain a complete overview of all existing
controls and their usage. QA-Managers also get valuable hints on how
the developed applications can be tested for accessible functionality. Josef Köble (2007). Developing Accessible Applications with
SAP NetWeaver. Galileo Press. ISBN: 1592291120, ISBN: 978-1592292424
(e-book) |
Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, & Nevin Berger: Effective Prototyping for Software Makers SAP UX colleagues Jonathan Arnowitz and Michael Arent, together with
Nevin Berger from Ziff Davis Media, published Effective Prototyping
for Software Makers, a book that will help software makers, developers,
designers, and architects build effective prototypes every time: prototypes
that convey enough information about the product at the appropriate
time and thus set expectations appropriately. According to the authors,
this practical, informative book will help anyone, whether or not one
has artistic talent, access to special tools, or programming ability
to use good prototyping style, methods, and tools to build prototypes
and manage for effective prototyping. Jonathan Arnowitz, Michael Arent, & Nevin Berger (2007). Effective Prototyping for Software Makers. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 978-0120885688 See the book in the book list... • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Bill Moggridge: Designing Interactions Digital technology has changed the way we interact with everything
from the games we play to the tools we use at work. Designers of digital
technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical
object – beautiful or utilitarian – but as designing our
interactions with it. In Designing Interactions, designer
Bill Moggridge introduces us to more than forty influential designers
who have shaped our interaction with technology. Bill Moggridge (2006). Designing Interactions. MIT Press. ISBN: 978-0262134743 |
George Stiny: Shape – Talking about Seeing and Doing In Shape, George Stiny argues that seeing shapes – with
all their changeability and ambiguity – is an inexhaustible source
of creative ideas. Understanding shapes, he says, is a useful way to
understand what is possible in design. Shapes are devices for visual
expression just as symbols are devices for verbal expression. Stiny
develops a unified scheme that includes both visual expression with
shapes and verbal expression with signs. Design uses shapes while business,
engineering, law, mathematics, and philosophy turn mainly to symbols.
Designing, Stiny argues, is calculating with shapes, calculating without
equations and numbers but still according to rules. Stiny takes the
idea of design as calculation from mere heuristic or metaphor to a
rigorous relationship in which design and calculation each inform and
enhance the other. George Stiny (2006). Shape – Talking about Seeing and Doing. MIT Press. ISBN: 0262195313 |
Paul A. Fishwick (Ed.): Aesthetic Computing In Aesthetic Computing, key scholars and practitioners from
art, design, computer science, and mathematics lay the foundations
for a discipline that applies the theory and practice of art to computing.
Aesthetic computing explores the way art and aesthetics can play a
role in different areas of computer science. One of its goals is to
modify computer science by the application of the wide range of definitions
and categories normally associated with making art. For example, structures
in computing might be represented using the style of Gaudi or the Bauhaus
school. The contributors to this book discuss the broader spectrum
of aesthetics – from abstract qualities of symmetry and form
to ideas of creative expression and pleasure – in the context
of computer science. The assumption behind aesthetic computing is that
the field of computing will be enriched if it embraces all of aesthetics.
Human-computer interaction will benefit – "usability," for
example, could refer to improving a user's emotional state – and
new models of learning will emerge. Paul A. Fishwick (Ed.) (2006). Aesthetic Computing. The MIT Press. ISBN: 026206250 |
John Maeda: The Laws of Simplicity Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. In The
Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing
simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design – guidelines
for needing less and actually getting more. John Maeda (2006). The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262134721 |
Cyrus D. Khazaeli: Systemisches Design Instead of restricting the user to certain navigation paths, designers
more and more think in terms of band widths, within which modular design
elements may recombine over and over in new ways. For being able to
do so, they need to be compatible, and rules are needed that govern
how they can be combined. This way, static design evolves into systemic
design, which allows to keep application functions and information
contexts transparent. Cyrus D. Khazaeli (2005). Systemisches Design. Rowohlt. ISBN: 3499600781 (in German) |
Dave Shea & Molly E. Holzschlag: The Zen of CSS Design Proving once and for all that standards-compliant design does not
equal dull design, this inspiring tome uses examples from the landmark CSS Zen Garden site as
the foundation for discussions on how to create beautiful, progressive
CSS-based Web sites. By using the Zen Garden sites as examples of how
CSS design techniques and approaches can be applied to specific Web
challenges, authors Dave Shea and Molly Holzschlag provide an eye-opening
look at the range of design methods made possible by CSS (Cascading
Style Sheets). Dave Shea & Molly E. Holzschlag (2005). The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web (Voices That Matter). Addison Wesley. ISBN: 0321303474 |
Anthony Dunne: Hertzian Tales – Electronic Products, Aesthetic Experience, and Critical Design The cultural speculations and conceptual design proposals in Anthony
Dunne's book Hertzian Tales are not utopian visions or blueprints;
instead, they embody a critique of present-day practices, "mixing
criticism with optimism". Very little has changed in the world
of design since Hertzian Tales was first published by the
Royal College of Art in 1999, writes Dunne in his preface to this MIT
Press edition: "Design is not engaging with the social, cultural,
and ethical implications of the technologies it makes so sexy and consumable." His
project and proposals challenge it to do so. Anthony Dunne (2005). Hertzian Tales: Electronic Products, Aesthetic Experience, and Critical Design. MIT Press. ISBN: 0262042320 |
Jörg Beringer & Karen Holtzblatt: Designing Composite Applications Beringer & Holtzblatt's book Designing Composite Applications helps
developers hit the ground running by providing a highly detailed and
comprehensive introduction to modern application design, using the
SAP Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA) toolset and the methodology
of Contextual Design. Readers will benefit immediately from
exclusive insights on design processes based on SAPs Business Process
Platform and learn valuable tricks and techniques that can drastically
improve user productivity. Jörg Beringer & Karen Holtzblatt (2006). Designing Composite Applications. Galileo Press (SAP PRESS). ISBN: 159229-0655 |
Debbie Stone, Caroline Jarrett, Mark Woodroffe, & Shailey Minocha: User Interface Design and Evaluation Based on a course from the Open University, UK which has been taught
to over a thousand professionals and students, the book User Interface
Design and Evaluation presents an overview of the field. It illustrates
the benefits of a user-centered approach to the design of software,
computer systems, and Websites, and provides a clear and practical
discussion of requirements gathering; developing interaction design
from user requirements; and user interface evaluation. Debbie Stone, Caroline Jarrett, Mark Woodroffe, & Shailey Minocha (2005). User Interface Design and Evaluation. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 0120884364 |
Bruce Sterling: Shaping Things "This book (Shaping Things) is about created objects and the environment, which is to say, it's about everything," starts Bruce Sterling his book and adds, "Seen from sufficient distance, this is a small topic." The vision of Shaping Things is given material form by the
intricate design of Lorraine Wild. Shaping Things is for designers
and thinkers, engineers and scientists, entrepreneurs and financiers – and
anyone who wants to understand and be part of the process of technosocial
transformation. Bruce Sterling (2005). Shaping Things. MIT Press. ISBN: 0262693267 or 026219533X |
Jenifer Tidwell: Designing Interfaces Designing Interfaces captures best practices that UI designers have refined over the years as design patterns – solutions to common design problems, tailored to the situation at hand. Each pattern contains practical advice that readers can put to use immediately, plus a variety of examples illustrated in full color. Readers will get recommendations, design alternatives, and warnings on when not to use them. Each chapter's introduction describes key design concepts that are
often misunderstood, such as affordances, visual hierarchy, navigational
distance, and the use of color. These give readers a deeper understanding
of why the patterns work, and how to apply them with more insight. Jenifer Tidwell (2005). Designing Interfaces. O'Reilly Media. ISBN: 0596008031 |
Alistair Cockburn: Writing Effective Use Cases In Writing Effective Use Cases, object technology expert Alistair
Cockburn presents an up-to-date, practical guide to use case writing.
The author borrows from his extensive experience in this realm, and
expands on the classic treatments of use cases to provide software
developers with a "nuts-and-bolts" tutorial for writing use
cases. The book thoroughly covers introductory, intermediate, and advanced
concepts, and is therefore appropriate for all knowledge levels. Illustrative
examples of both good and bad uses cases as well as helpful learning
exercises round out the book. Alistair Cockburn (2001). Writing Effective Use Cases. Addison-Wesley. ISBN: 0201702258 |
Tom Kelley & Jonathan Littman: The Ten Faces of Innovation The role of the devil's advocate is nearly universal in business today. It allows individuals to step outside themselves and raise questions and concerns that effectively kill new projects and ideas, while claiming no personal responsibility. Nothing is more potent in stifling innovation as Tom Kelley points out in The Ten Faces of Innovation. Over the years, Kelley has observed a number of roles that people
can play in an organization to foster innovation and new ideas while
offering an effective counter to naysayers. Among these approaches
are the Anthropologist, the person who goes into the field to
see how customers use and respond to products, to come up with new
innovations; the Cross-Pollinator, who mixes and matches ideas,
widely disparate people, and technologies to create new ideas that
can drive growth; and the Hurdler, who instantly looks for ways
to overcome the limits and challenges to any situation. Tom Kelley & Jonathan Littmann (2005). The Ten Faces of Innovation. Currency. ISBN: 0385512074 |
Clifford Nass & Scott Brave: Wired for Speech – How Voice Activates and Advances the Human-Computer Relationship Interfaces that talk and listen are populating computers, cars, call
centers, and even home appliances and toys, but voice interfaces invariably
frustrate rather than help. In Wired for Speech, Clifford Nass
and Scott Brave reveal how interactive voice technologies can readily
and effectively tap into the automatic responses all speech –-
whether from human or machine – evokes. Wired
for Speech demonstrates that people are "voice-activated": we respond
to voice technologies as we respond to actual people and behave as
we would in any social situation. By leveraging this powerful finding,
voice interfaces can truly emerge as the next frontier for efficient,
user-friendly technology. Clifford Nass & Scott Brave (2005). Wired for Speech: How Voice Activates and Advances the Human-Computer Relationship. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262140926 |
Daniel H. Pink: A Whole New Mind – Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age In the tradition of Emotional Intelligence and Now,
Discover Your Strengths, Daniel H. Pink offers a fresh look
at what it takes to excel. A Whole New Mind reveals the six essential
aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment
now depend, and includes a series of hands-on exercises culled from
experts around the world to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities.
This book is directed to everyone who wants to stay ahead of the
next wave. Daniel H. Pink (2005). A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Riverhead. ISBN: 1573223085 |
Catherine Courage & Kathy Baxter: Understanding Your Users – A Practical Guide to User Requirements Methods, Tools, and Techniques Today many companies are employing a user-centered design (UCD) process,
but for most companies, usability begins and ends with the usability
test. Although usability testing is a critical part of an effective
user-centered life cycle, it is only one component of the UCD process.
This book is focused on the requirements gathering stage, which often
receives less attention than usability testing, but is equally as important.
Understanding user requirements is critical to the development of a
successful product. Catherine Courage & Kathy Baxter (2004). Understanding Your Users – A Practical Guide to User Requirements Methods, Tools, and Techniques. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1558609350 |
John Thackara: In the Bubble – Designing in a Complex World We're filling up the world with technology and devices, but we've
lost sight of an important question: What is this stuff for? What value
does it add to our lives? So asks author John Thackara in his new book, In
the Bubble: Designing for a Complex World. John Thackara (2005). In the Bubble – Designing in a Complex World. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262201577 |
Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza: The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction In The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction,
Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza proposes an account of HCI that draws
on concepts from semiotics and computer science to investigate the
relationship between user and designer. Semiotics is the study of signs,
and the essence of semiotic engineering is the communication between
designers and users at interaction time; designers must somehow be
present in the interface to tell users how to use the signs that make
up a system or program. This approach, which builds on – but
goes further than – the currently dominant user-centered approach,
allows designers to communicate their overall vision and therefore
helps users understand designs – rather than simply which icon
to click. Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza (2005). The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262042207 |
Jonas Löwgren & Erik Stolterman: Thoughtful Interaction Design The authors of Thoughtful Interaction Design go beyond the
usual technical concerns of usability and usefulness to consider interaction
design from a design perspective. The shaping of digital artifacts
is a design process that influences the form and functions of workplaces,
schools, communication, and culture; the successful interaction designer
must use both ethical and aesthetic judgment to create designs that
are appropriate to a given environment. This book is not a how-to manual,
but a collection of tools for thought about interaction design. Jonas Löwgren & Erik Stolterman (2004). Thoughtful Interaction Design. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262122715 |
Karen Holtzblatt, Jessamy Burns Wendell, & Shelley Wood: Rapid Contextual Design This handbook introduces Rapid CD, a fast-paced, adaptive form of
Contextual Design. Rapid CD is a hands-on guide for anyone who needs
practical guidance on how to use the Contextual Design process and
adapt it to tactical projects with tight timelines and resources. Karen Holtzblatt, Jessamy Burns Wendell, & Shelley Wood (2004). Rapid Contextual Design. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 0123540518 |
Keld Bødker, Finn Kensing, & Jesper Simonsen: Participatory IT Design The goal of participatory IT design is to set sensible, general, and
workable guidelines for the introduction of new information technology
systems into an organization. Reflecting the latest systems-development
research, this book encourages a business-oriented and socially sensitive
approach that takes into consideration the specific organizational
context as well as first-hand knowledge of users' work practices and
allows all stakeholders – users, management, and staff – to
participate in the process. Participatory IT Design is a guide
to the theory and practice of this process that can be used as a reference
work by IT professionals and as a textbook for classes in information
technology at introductory through advanced levels. Keld Bødker, Finn Kensing, & Jesper Simonsen (2004). Participatory IT Design. The MIT Press. ISBN: 026202568X |
John McCarthy, & Peter Wright: Technology as Experience
In Technology as Experience, John McCarthy and Peter Wright
argue that any account of what is often called the user experience
must take into consideration the emotional, intellectual, and sensual
aspects of our interactions with technology. We don't just use technology,
they point out; we live with it. They offer a new approach to understanding
human-computer interaction through examining the felt experience of
technology. Drawing on the pragmatism of such philosophers as John
Dewey and Mikhail Bakhtin, they provide a framework for a clearer analysis
of technology as experience. The authors illustrate their theoretical
framework with real-world examples that range from online shopping
to ambulance dispatch. John McCarthy, & Peter Wright (2004). Technology as Experience. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262134470 |
Susan Fowler & Victor Stanwick: Web Application Design Handbook – Best Practices for Web-Based Software The Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for Web-Based Software was written for teams who are trying to write new web-based applications or port existing applications to the Internet. “Writing for the web” is hardly a straightforward issue, not just because a good collection of development tools isn’t yet available, but also because it means at least three different things:
The Web Application Design Handbook addresses all three definitions,
but it also shows how being on the web can add magic to an application.
(From the preface of the book, adapted) Susan Fowler & Victor Stanwick (2004). Web Application Design Handbook: Best Practices for Web-Based Software. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1558607528 |
Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder, & Richard MacDermott: Cultivating Communities of Practice Building on the 1998 book Communities of Practice by Wenger
that framed the theory for an academic audience, Cultivating Communities
of Practice targets practitioners with pragmatic advice based on
the accumulating track records of firms such as the World Bank, Shell
Oil, and McKinsey & Company. Starting with a detailed explanation
of what these groups really are and why they can prove so useful in
managing knowledge within an organization, the authors discuss development
from initial design through subsequent evolution. They also address
the potential "dark side" – arrogance, cliquishness,
rigidity, and fragmentation among participants, for example – as
well as measurement issues and the challenges inherent in initiating
these groups company-wide. Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder, & Richard MacDermott (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN: 1578513308 |
Malcolm McCullouch: Digital Ground – Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing Digital Ground is an architect's response to the design challenge
posed by pervasive computing. One century into the electronic age,
people have become accustomed to interacting indirectly, mediated through
networks. But now as digital technology becomes invisibly embedded
in everyday things, even more activities become mediated, and networks
extend rather than replace architecture. The young field of interaction
design reflects not only how people deal with machine interfaces but
also how people deal with each other in situations where interactivity
has become ambient. It shifts previously utilitarian digital design
concerns to a cultural level, adding notions of premise, appropriateness,
and appreciation. Malcolm McCullough offers an account of the
intersections of architecture and interaction design, arguing that
the ubiquitous technology does not obviate the human need for place. Malcolm McCullough (2004). Digital Ground: Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing. MIT Press. ISBN: 0262134357 |
Donald A. Norman: Emotional Design – Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things Written by Don Norman, the author of The Design of Everyday Things,
this is the first book to make the connection between our emotions
and how we relate to ordinary objects – from juicers to Jaguars.
In recent years, the design community has focused on making products
easier to use. But as Norman amply demonstrates in his book, design
experts have vastly underestimated the role of emotion on our experience
of everyday objects. Emotional Design analyzes the profound
influence of this deceptively simple idea, from our willingness to
spend thousands of dollars on Gucci bags and Rolex watches to the impact
of emotion on the everyday objects of tomorrow. Donald A. Norman (2003). Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things. Basic Books. ISBN: 0465051359 |
Brenda Laurel (Ed.): Design Research – Methods and Perspectives The tools of design research, writes Brenda Laurel, will allow designers "to
claim and direct the power of their profession." The goal of the
book is to introduce designers to the many research tools that can be
used to inform design as well as to ideas about how and when to deploy
them effectively. Often neglected in the various curricula of design
schools, the new models of design research described in this book help
designers to investigate people, form, and process in ways that can make
their work more potent and more delightful.
(From book cover, adapted) Brenda Laurel (Ed.) (2003). Design Research: Methods and Perspectives. MIT Press. ISBN: 0262122634 See the book in the book list • Read the review • Read another review |
Jay David Bolter & Diane Gromala: Windows and Mirrors – Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the Myth of Transparency In Windows and Mirrors: Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the
Myth of Transparency, the authors argue that, contrary to Donald
Norman's famous dictum, we do not always want our computers to be invisible "information
appliances." They say that a computer does not feel like a toaster
or a vacuum cleaner; it feels like a medium that is now taking its
place beside other media like printing, film, radio, and television.
The computer as medium creates new forms and genres for artists and
designers; the authors want to show what digital art has to offer to
Web designers, education technologists, graphic artists, interface
designers, HCI experts, and, for that matter, anyone interested in
the cultural implications of the digital revolution.
(From book description, adapted) Jay David Bolter & Diane Gromala (2003). Windows and Mirrors : Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the Myth of Transparency . MIT Press. ISBN: 0262025450 |
JoAnn Hackos: Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery JoAnn Hackos' latest book is written for information-development managers
who want to move their departments into the 21st century. It discusses
establishing a content strategy to determine what content your users
need, in which media it should be delivered, and what types of content
should be singled out for sales and marketing, customer support, training,
and reference.
(From book info, adapted) JoAnn Hackos (2002). Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 0471085863 |
Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville: Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition,
shows how to use both aesthetics and mechanics to create distinctive,
cohesive Websites that work. Most books on Web development concentrate
either on the graphics or on the technical issues of a site. This book
focuses on the framework that holds the two together.
(From back cover) Louis Rosenfeld & Peter Morville (2002). Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Second Edition. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0596000359 |
Douglas K. van Duyne, James A. Landay, & Jason I. Hong: The Design of Sites: Patterns, Principles, and Processes for Crafting a Customer-Centered Web Experience |
Clemens Lango: Visuos |
Ian Graham: A Pattern Language for Web Usability
Current books on Web design are not organized in such a way that they can be accessed quickly as a reference guide to good practice. In addition, many of the principles of good user interface design are only present implicitly in these books. Therefore, this book provides a standard reference pattern language that can be a useful reference and a source of learning on how to design great sites. There are four aspects of Website design: usability, content, navigation,
and aesthetics. The last three all contribute in some way to the first.
Therefore the language must address all four issues. The Web usability
pattern language presented in this work attempts to meet these requirements. Ian Graham (2003). A Pattern Language for Web Usability. Addison Wesley. ISBN: 0201788888. |
Ben Schneiderman & Catherine Plaisant: Designing the User Interface (4th Edition)
Ben Shneiderman & Catherine Plaisant (2003). Designing the User Interface (4th Edition). Pearson Addison-Wesley. ISBN: 0321200586 (Hardcover) See the book in the book list • Book companion Website • Read the review |
Mike Kuniavsky: Observing the User Experience
Mike Kuniavsky (2003). Observing the User Experience. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN 1558609237 |
Dan Woods: Packaged Composite Applications
Dan Woods (2003). Packaged Composite Applications. O'Reilly & Associates. ISBN 0596005520. (Not contained in book list)
|
Alan Cooper & Robert M. Reimann: About Face 2.0
Alan Cooper & Robert M. Reimann (2003). About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Design. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 0764526413 (Paperback) |
Benjamin B. Bederson & Ben Shneiderman: The Craft of Information Visualization – Readings and Reflections
Information visualization is a rapidly growing field that is emerging from research in human-computer interaction, computer science, graphics, visual design, psychology, and business methods. The book The Craft of Information Visualization: Readings and Reflections, edited by Ben Bederson and Ben Shneiderman, collects nearly 40 of the key papers on information visualization from the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2003. Benjamin B. Bederson & Ben Shneiderman (2003). The Craft of Information Visualization – Readings and Reflections. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1558609156 (Paperback) |
Carolyn Snyder: Paper Prototyping
Carolyn Snyder, now an independent usability consultant at Snyder Consulting, was introduced to the method of paper protoyping at Jared Spool's company User Interface Engineering. In her new book Paper Prototyping she compiled all her experience with this approach and shows how paper prototypes can be used as an (cost-)effective tool in the user-centered design process of software applications. Carolyn Snyder (2003). Paper Prototyping. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1558608702 (Paperback) |
Ben Shneiderman: Leonardo's Laptop – Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies
Ben Shneiderman (2002). Leonardo's Laptop – Human Needs and
the New Computing Technologies. The MIT Press. ISBN: 0262194767
(Hardcover) |
Jeff Johnson: Web Bloopers
Jeff Johnson (2003). Web Bloopers. Morgan Kaufmann. ISBN: 1558608400 (Paperback) |
Dan
Woods' book introduces a new breed of software applications, so-called
Packaged Composite Applications (PCAs, or xApps in SAP jargon), which
offers a new architectural paradigm for integrating and "cutting
across the borders" of classical enterprise applications. Although
this is not a usability or graphic design book, we present it here because
packaged composite applications provide new challenges to user interface
designers. 
