This book is a UX classic that every UX planner looking to move beyond the beginner level and become intermediate to advanced should read. It explains what it means to design experiences and how UX strategy—starting with product goals and user needs—translates into actual design across five planes.

This book is a UX classic read around the world by developers as well as planners. Rather than dwelling on complex theories or explanations of terminology, it uses concrete examples to explain the essentials of usability and how to design websites, all centered on the simple principle: “Don’t make me think!”

'The Design of Everyday Things' is a classic introductory book on UX that explains cognitive psychology and design principles through everyday objects such as doors, handles, and controls. NNGroup, founded by the author, also describes the book as showing how to make things easier to understand and use based on people’s needs and cognitive psychology. Although it may seem like an easy read, properly understanding its principles and applying them to design is not easy. Many people remember concepts such as affordances and usability, but find it difficult to explain why those principles matter and when they should be applied. It was only after nearly 10 years of practical experience and teaching the material eight times that I finally understood how the ideas in the book fit together. In this course, we go beyond memorizing principles to explore the author’s arguments, cognitive processes, and the context in which the book was written. Discover the design intent hidden in familiar objects and build a solid foundation for applying these principles to real-world UX decisions.