Top UX Books Every Designer Should Read in 2023

UX is a broad subject, hence our many conferences. With plenty of areas to cover, including wireframing, user research, psychology, and UX writing to name just a few, all designers need to be as clued up as they can be to produce the best experiences and products for their users.

Luckily, there’s always a book that’s got you covered. We’re big readers at Tech Circus, so we’re even bigger believers in turning pages instead of turning to what can sometimes be unreliable articles on the web.

There’s always room for budding and even seasoned designers to grow their design knowledge and skills, so if you’re going to read just one book on UX this year, look no further than our list.

We have the pleasure of working closely with some of the top influencers in the design world, some of whom are successful authors themselves. Read on to see which of their books we recommend all UX designers read in 2023.

We decided it was time to share the fantastic works of the design experts who have proven their methods and ideas time and time again. You may even recognise some of the names from our list if you’ve attended any of our conferences.

Read from our broad list of top UX books by the designers we work with for the industry’s most inspiring ideas and hard-hitting truths.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Susan-Weinschenk/

Have you ever wanted to know your user? Like, really know your user?

Dr Susan Weinschenk offers up the latest cognitive, perceptual and social psychology research in this gold mine of a UX book. There’s no hiding for your users once you’ve applied this to your work!

Weinschenk guides the reader through improving their design choices, from selecting fonts to motivating and guiding the user.

You will learn how to design products that complement the way people really think using practical examples from this book. Your products will be more intuitive and engaging than before.

Susan Weinschenk most recently spoke at The BAD Conference 2022, which returns next year.

Buy the book: https://debbielevitt.com/books-videos/

Firstly, let’s introduce you to Delta CX. The model was designed to bring CX and UX together to improve products, services and customer experiences.

Secondly, we’ll get into the good stuff. Debbie Levitt shares core ideas in this essential book for designers and C-levels.

Save time, money and most importantly, your sanity by introducing Debbie’s ideas and methodologies into your organisation.

This book aims to rededicate your work to your external and internal customers by replacing guesswork with Lean customer research.

Debbie Levitt joins us for a UX Crunch workshop on ‘Transforming Toward Customer-Centricity’ on 2 November 2022.

Find out more and book your tickets now on Eventbrite.

Buy the book: https://abookapart.com/products/design-for-cognitive-bias

Do you feel like you’re in control? Do you make the best decisions for everyone involved?

The answer is: probably not! But you’re not alone, as we’re all victims of bias in everything we do. So, in Design for Cognitive Bias, David Dylan Thomas sets out to eradicate the irrational forces that weigh in on our decision-making.

This book will teach designers how to take control of the digital experiences they create to please the most important people of all: the user.

Arm yourself with the knowledge that will let you design with a conscious outlook, allowing you to catch yourself out when making those biased decisions.

David Dylan Thomas last spoke at Business X Design in 2022 with his talk ‘“That’s great, but how do I convince my boss?”: Overcoming Bias to Advocate for Change’.

Buy the book: https://humanpoweredbook.com/

According to Trenton Moss, EQ (emotional intelligence) has become the new IQ.

The expert business leader, trainer and coach has inspired so many individuals and organisations that it’s high time you picked up some of his frameworks and added them to your day-to-day.

Human Powered is an accessible guide to solving problems, resolving conflict and inspiring others.

The book will supercharge you with EQ allowing you to influence, persuade and show leadership to stakeholders, regardless of your position in the organisation.

Trenton has created the ultimate blueprint for successful teams. Either follow it and succeed or don’t and watch your efforts crumble around you.

Ready to feel unstoppable?

Buy the book: https://givegoodux.com/books/

Joe Natoli is famous for his jargon-free and accessible approach to understanding and applying UX processes within an organisation.

We’ve worked with Joe on Tech Circus events on numerous occasions, each as enlightening as the last. So we can truly say that his book, Think First, is one of the best design tools out there.

Inside, you’ll find real-world examples of creating a successful UX strategy, foundational UX ideas and the tools Joe has shared with Fortune 500 companies.

No matter what you’re designing, learn the proven principles, step-by-step methods and straightforward advice that will help you work in a stress-free way.

Joe Natoli will next speak at UX Live Online as part of this years first Product Design Week.

Book your tickets now to hear his talk.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/strategic-writing-for-ux/

The most effective way to sway a user is through words. That is the ethos Torrey Podmajerssky delivers in her best seller, Strategic Writing for UX.

As UX Manager at Google, Torrey’s experience in choosing words and where to place them is proven through her success in UX content strategy. In her book, you will gain the tools to build foundational pieces for UI text and UX voice strategy.

Understand how to convert, engage, support and re-attract users through your words. This book is perfect for UX writers looking for frameworks and patterns for content, methods to measure content effectiveness and how to recognise brand voice to create easily recognisable copy for your audience.

You may have already read one of the books listed. Maybe you’ve attended one of our conferences and been inspired by a speaker, reading their book as a result.

Whether you’ve read one of these or something completely different, we want to know what has inspired you. Tell us about the UX books you have read and the key takeaways you gained.

On the flip side of that, maybe you’ve written one yourself. Let us know if you have and who knows, you could join our list of legends.

Speak to our marketing team by emailing marketing@techcircus.co.uk.