What this means is that the books of yesteryears may be outdated and not applicable today or in the years to come, especially in technical areas such as software development or programming frameworks. But some fundamentals will weather the passing of time such as the principles and elements of web design.<\/p>\n
Now, where do you begin? Do not gloss over this. We did our research so you won\u2019t have to, and came up with this list of web design books that should be on your reading list.<\/p>\n
Books on Web Design Basics<\/h2>\n
You may be a beginner or a pro in web design but your common starting point is the basics. Learning the theories and fundamentals will give you an essential introduction to the world of web design. The following should be on your checklist:<\/p>\n
1. The Principles of Beautiful Web Design<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/The-Principles-of-Beautiful-Web-Design.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The Principles of Beautiful Web Design was published in October 2020 and written by Jason Beaird. He is an American professional web designer with a dual major in digital media and graphic design from the University of Florida. The book is targeted at both novice and veteran web designers looking to create more visually appealing websites through the end-to-end process. \u00a0It will help you determine what \u201cgood design\u201d is, understand the effective use of color, create effective layouts, properly apply textures and typography, and choose and position the right imagery, among many others.<\/p>\n
2. Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics<\/h3>\n
The book came out in June 2018 and was authored by Jennifer Niederst Robbins who started her web design career in 1993. She has since written other books, spoken at conferences, and taught web design for beginners at a couple of colleges. Learning Web Design is for those who have no previous experience in building web pages. It offers an easy-to-follow guide to creating a simple but responsive site using various techniques to help you discern key concepts. You\u2019ll learn how to build HTML pages complete with links, texts, images, etc.; use CSS for text formatting, page layout, colors, and background; and understand how JavaScript works.<\/p>\n
3. Web Design Playground: HTML & CSS the Interactive Way<\/h3>\n
Web Design Playground first came out as an e-Textbook in April 2019 and the following month was released in paperback. The book was written by web designer Paul McFedries, a prolific full-time technical author who has worked with computers since the mid-70s and has so far come up with over 90 computer books. With Web Design Playground, you\u2019ll be shown a step-by-step guide on how to write your first HTML line to create attractive web pages. As this is a project-based book, the \u201cplayground\u201d part is where you\u2019ll be provided an accompanying online interactive workspace where you can hands-on design websites, online pages, image galleries, and more.<\/p>\n
4. Art Direction for the Web<\/h3>\n
Art Direction for the Web came out in 2019 and is one of the most popular books by Andy Clarke, a noted web designer, speaker, and teacher. Many books present the “how” in web art direction, but very few on the \u201cwhy\u201d and \u201cwhen.\u201d The book elevates art direction into the digital era and provides designers with art direction basics as well as a framework for implementing art direction theories in web projects. It has real-life examples from the works of influential art directors as well as insights from Clarke\u2019s 20-year experience in art direction. You\u2019ll know why art direction is key to making your website more potent at persuading, selling, and communicating.<\/p>\n
5. Thinking with Type<\/h3>\n
The book\u2019s full title is \u201cThinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students\u201d first published in 2004 and went on to become a best-seller. It was written by Ellen Lupton, a designer, educator, curator, historian, and writer with over 50 books to her credit. Thinking with Type will resonate with graphic and web designers because in the words of web standards advocate Jeffrey Zeldman \u2013 \u201cType is the foundation of print and web design.\u201d The book features several real-world selections of typography examples and the rules behind effective type as well as when and how to break those rules.<\/p>\n
Books on Design Research and Studies<\/h2>\n
Today\u2019s web standards, web design practices, and trends are often the results of studies and research on what works and what does not. For instance, user interaction design and user experience design were borne out of findings on human psychology and behavior relating to how design elements affect users. Here are the foremost books on the subject.<\/p>\n
1. User-Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction<\/h3>\n
![\"User-Centered](\"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/User-Centered-System-Design.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
In 1986, cognitive scientist and usability engineer Don Norman unveiled the term \u201cuser-centered design\u201d in the book User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-computer Interaction. It is the product of a comprehensive collaboration among researchers from the U.S., Europe, and Japan on the way people think of computers and humans. The gist is that designers should make systems simple to help their human users. Such principle is still applied to this day by designers and developers when creating apps or building websites. Norman is considered today the \u201cgrand old man of user experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity<\/h3>\n
This book was published in July of 2001 and was authored by Jakob Nielsen, a Danish human-computer interaction researcher, and web usability consultant. He is often described as the \u201cguru of Web usability\u201d and in 2010 was recognized as one of the world\u2019s most influential designers for his contributions to studies in usability. Designing Web Usability is considered a landmark book as it guides internet professionals and web designers on the steps and direction to take when it comes to connecting with any web user in any given situation, including ease of navigation and access for users with disabilities. While the book is from the early beginnings of the Web, the principles laid therein are still applied and followed by web designers and developers today.<\/p>\n
3. Don\u2019t Make Me Think<\/h3>\n
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by UX professional Steve Krug was originally published in 2000 but underwent revisions in 2005 and 2013. It has since sold over 300,000 copies. The premise of the book is that a good website or software program should let its users complete their intended task as directly and easily as possible. Today, this has been the underlying goal of website building \u2013 making it accessible, easily navigable, and allowing for high-quality interaction for users even if the website gets to grow more complex and bigger every day, citing for example Amazon.com.<\/p>\n
4. Laws of UX: Using Psychology to Design Better Products & Services<\/h3>\n
Laws of UX is a practical guide that explains how key psychology principles can be applied to come up with products and experiences that are more human-centered and intuitive. Author Jon Yablonski draws on his decade-long experience as a UX designer and front-end developer to show the psychology behind how humans interact and behave with digital interfaces. A solid understanding of this psychology is the single most essential non-design skill that designers can have. Among others, you\u2019ll get to learn psychology principles most beneficial to designers and how designs with pleasing aesthetics create positive responses.<\/p>\n
5. Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design and How to Fix It<\/h3>\n
The book by authors Jonathan Shariat and Cynthia Savard Saucier explains and explores how badly designed products can result in so many adverse consequences \u2013 from negative emotions to unintended physical harm. Tragic Design presents real case studies on how particular design choices produced unfavorable results. If web designers were to consider websites as products (which they should) then this is an eye-opening exposition to avoid bad design that can lead to detrimental user experiences.<\/p>\n
Books on Web Development<\/h2>\n
You\u2019re only as good as what you know. So why not dig deep into the nitty-gritty of web design and development by knowing the programming languages, frameworks, and web standards that power and define websites? These books will give you the necessary insights and knowledge.<\/p>\n
1. CSS In Depth<\/h3>\n
![\"CSS](\"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/CSS-In-Depth.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
CSS In Depth had its first paperback edition released in April 2018 and is the work of long-time professional web developer Keith J. Grant. Ever wonder what\u2019s the secret to websites that stand out with smooth transitions, cohesive typography, and beautiful graphics? It\u2019s no secret that CSS has much to do with those. CSS, as a cornerstone web technology specifies and determines almost everything about how a website looks \u2013 from the structural placement of page elements to its responsiveness, and overall design. The book exposes you to CSS techniques to sharpen your skills and make you a better designer using one of the primary tools of the trade.<\/p>\n
2. HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites<\/h3>\n
HTML and CSS are the building blocks of modern websites and together with JavaScript are considered among the most important web technologies. The book \u201cResponsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS: Build future-proof responsive websites using the latest HTML5 and CSS techniques\u201d started as an e-Textbook and had its first paperback release in September 2022. Being a recent publication means it covers all the newest improvements and developments in HTML and CSS technologies and techniques particularly in responsive web design. This is targeted at all types of web developers who need a deeper and broader understanding of responsive web design and how to accomplish them.<\/p>\n
3. Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5<\/h3>\n
The 5th<\/sup> edition of this book was published in June 2018 and authored by Robin Nixon who is backed by over three decades of writing software, developing apps, and building websites. He has written extensively about technology and computers with some 30 books and more than 500 published articles. The book is a hands-on guide to dynamic web programming using current core technologies like HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, and MySQL. Each of these technologies is explored individually but you\u2019ll also learn how to work them together. This book is ideal for webmasters, web designers, and developers who want to learn how to create websites that are dynamic and database-driven.<\/p>\n The 7th<\/sup> edition of this book was published in May 2020 and is the work of a computer programmer who is well-known in the industry \u2013 David Flanagan. He currently works at Mozilla and has put over 20 years of programming experience to come up with this handy but comprehensive guide on the \u201cbible\u201d of programming languages \u2013 JavaScript. You\u2019ll learn all you need to know about JS including its many aspects, language extensions, values, components, data structures, and with this edition the most recent JavaScript version.<\/p>\n The 3rd<\/sup> edition of this book was published in 2009 and is currently available both on Kindle and paperback. Its author \u2013 Jeffrey Zeldman \u2013 is among the most recognized web designers in the world. He is co-founder of the Web Standards Project in 1998 and was crucial in bringing together Microsoft and Netscape back then to support a common browser technology. The book is not an instruction or guidebook but a deep account and exploration of the history and importance of the present state concerning web standards. Do note that web designers and developers build sites today according to a set of standards and specifications designed for the web.<\/p>\n Get a foothold on the business of web design, from job and career opportunities, pricing and marketing strategies, to running your own design business. Understanding the business and financial side of things ensures that you can make sound decisions and chart the right direction.<\/p>\n The “For Dummies” is a popular instructional reference book series that presents topics in easily digestible form \u2013 in plain, non-intimidating language and without gibberish. This one, the first edition released in 2014, presents a roadmap to those wishing to carve a career in web development. It will help you understand career opportunities in this field, find the many ways to build the skills you need, discover your niche (freelancer or corporate), learn to develop a resume or portfolio, and get tips for building a reputation and finding resources, among others. For those starting, this book will direct you to your destination and present you with the most ideal route.<\/p>\n Author Jim Smith puts 25 years of accumulated experience as a web designer and entrepreneur into this book. It is filled with practical tips and expert advice on all aspects of running a home-based web design business. These include start-up cost estimates, cash flow management, keeping up with tech advancements, having the right business mindset, crafting a contract, and many more. The book also offers some tricks from the author on how to build effective websites. If you prefer to go freelance and opt to be your own boss, this book is an invaluable reference guide you shouldn\u2019t miss out.<\/p>\n Author Mike Monteiro is the design director and co-founder of Mule Design, a San Francisco-based design studio. As a noted design guru, he speaks and writes about the business, craft, and ethics of design. He has written three books on the subject and You\u2019re My Favorite Client is his second, published in 2014. This book is intended for those with design businesses, product owners, or design clients who need guidance on how to get themselves involved in the design process. Hence, readers will learn the process to hire the right talent, work with designers as part of a team, ask proper questions, and give effective feedback.<\/p>\n This book is on its 2nd<\/sup> edition published in August of 2020. Written by UX designer and consultant Tom Greever with 20 years of experience, Articulating Design Decisions presents a practical guide that hones in on the principles, techniques, and methods when it comes to presenting your designs. This is critical because a misstep in design presentation to clients and stakeholders can result in a foregone business or income opportunity. Hence, it\u2019s important at the onset that you get the support of the people who have a say in your project. The book will help you understand the perspectives of clients, cultivate listening skills, learn the process of design preparation and presentation, and assess the need to follow up, among other things.<\/p>\n Author Ilise Benun is a marketer, speaker, design entrepreneur, and founder of Marketing-Mentor.com. She\u2019s also a successful business writer having authored seven books targeted mostly to those who are self-employed. The Designer\u2019s Guide aims to answer the most commonly asked questions by designers regarding how to market and set prices for their services. This is vital as you would want the right pricing that\u2019s fair to you and your client. Some of the things you\u2019ll learn are effective marketing tools, crafting a smart marketing plan, determining ideal clients, walking clients through the design process, and talking about money matters. Overall, you\u2019ll get a handle on the ins and outs of managing a design service business.<\/p>\n Nowadays, books are things you may not find the need to invest in. But if you are passionate about your career, bent on accumulating knowledge, and decided on sharpening your skills, then books are the ideal stuff that you can own and invest in<\/strong>. They are not that expensive, are readily available to order, and are collectible. And surely, you\u2019ll treat them as prized possessions when you have a whole lot of them filling up your bookshelf and comprising your very own library of web design books. That would be neat and cool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What are the best web design books that should be on your reading list? This will be quite a challenge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":14032,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-web-design"],"acf":[],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13991"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14045,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13991\/revisions\/14045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}4. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide: Master the World\u2019s Most-Used Programming Language<\/h3>\n
5. Designing with Web Standards<\/h3>\n
Books on Web Design Business<\/h2>\n
1. Getting a Web Development Job For Dummies<\/h3>\n
![\"Web](\"https:\/\/www.webdesign-inspiration.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Getting-a-Web-Development-Job-For-Dummies.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. How to Start a Home-Based Web Design Business<\/h3>\n
3. You\u2019re My Favorite Client<\/h3>\n
4. Articulating Design Decisions: Communicate with Stakeholders, Keep Your Sanity, and Deliver the Best User Experience<\/h3>\n
5. The Designer’s Guide To Marketing And Pricing: How To Win Clients And What To Charge Them<\/h3>\n
Invest in Books<\/h2>\n