Science · Similar reads
Books like Universal Principles of Design
The best books like Universal Principles of Design are The Design of Everyday Things, Interaction of Color, and Designing Your Life. Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler is about design principles, human factors, visual communication. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- The Design of Everyday Things
01
Donald Norman · Psychology
The Design of Everyday Things began as The Psychology of Everyday Things when first published in 1988, and Donald Norman revised it substantially for a 2013 edition that updated the examples for a digital age.
Both dig into cognitive psychology.
Read the summary → - Interaction of Color
02
Josef Albers · Philosophy
Josef Albers published Interaction of Color in 1963 as a teaching instrument, not a textbook.
A kindred science read.
Read the summary → - Designing Your Life
03
Bill Burnett and Dave Evans · Self-help
Designing Your Life borrows tools from Silicon Valley product design and applies them to the messier problem of building a fulfilling life.
A kindred science read.
Read the summary → - Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking
04
Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking
Daniel Dennett · Philosophy
Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking is Daniel Dennett's handbook for thinking well — a collection of seventy-odd conceptual tools assembled across a long career in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and evolutionary theory.
A kindred science read.
Read the summary → - Laws of UX
05
Jon Yablonski · Science
Laws of UX is Jon Yablonski's collection of ten principles drawn from psychology and cognitive science that bear directly on user interface design.
Both dig into design principles.
Read the summary → - The Elements of Typographic Style
06
The Elements of Typographic Style
Robert Bringhurst · Science
The Elements of Typographic Style is Robert Bringhurst's comprehensive treatment of typography as both craft and art.
Both dig into visual communication.
Read the summary → - Grid Systems in Graphic Design
07
Grid Systems in Graphic Design
Josef Müller-Brockmann · Philosophy
Josef Müller-Brockmann's Grid Systems in Graphic Design, first published in German and English in 1981 by Niggli Verlag, is the closest thing graphic design has to a foundational technical text.
Both dig into visual communication.
Read the summary → - Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
08
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Nir Eyal · Business
Hooked is Nir Eyal's framework for designing products that people return to without external prompting.
Both dig into product design.
Read the summary → - Meggs' History of Graphic Design
09
Meggs' History of Graphic Design
Philip B. Meggs · History
Meggs' History of Graphic Design is the standard reference text for the history of visual communication, covering the development of writing and printed images from prehistoric cave markings through the digital revolution.
Both dig into visual communication.
Read the summary → - No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram
10
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram
Sarah Frier · Business
No Filter is Sarah Frier's account of Instagram's founding, its acquisition by Facebook, and the decade-long tension between Instagram's founders and Mark Zuckerberg over what the product should become.
Both dig into product design.
Read the summary → - On Directing Film
11
David Mamet · Philosophy
On Directing Film is David Mamet's account of lectures he gave at Columbia University's film school, transcribed and lightly edited into a short, blunt book about the craft of directing.
Both dig into visual communication.
Read the summary → - Sprint
12
Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz · Business
Sprint is the account of the design sprint methodology developed at Google Ventures — a five-day process for answering critical business questions through rapid prototyping and real user testing.
Both dig into product design.
Read the summary →
Books like Universal Principles of Design: quick answers
What are the best books like Universal Principles of Design?
The best books like Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler are The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman, Interaction of Color by Josef Albers, Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennett, Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with Universal Principles of Design, such as design principles, human factors, visual communication.
What should I read after Universal Principles of Design?
A natural next read after Universal Principles of Design is The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman. Both dig into cognitive psychology. Other strong choices are Interaction of Color by Josef Albers, Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennett.
What books are similar to Universal Principles of Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler?
Universal Principles of Design centers on design principles, human factors, visual communication. Books with a similar feel include The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman, Interaction of Color by Josef Albers, Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking by Daniel Dennett, Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski, The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
