Books on Interaction Design and Design Theory

Here’s a list of the books that I have read recently whilst researching for an essay (or perhaps thesis chapter?) on the theory of both design and interaction design. The books are listed below in the same order as they are stacked in the photo above. Although I won’t claim that this list is in any way comprehensive, I feel that there is a good range of books here for anyone interested in researching design, and interaction design.

1. “Thoughtful Interaction Design: A Design Perspective on Information Technology” By Jonas Löwgren, Erik Stolterman. I recommend this to anyone interested in interaction design. This book is both readable and thought-provoking.
2. “Thoughts on Interaction Design” By Jon Kolko. This book gives a great overview of what it means to be an interaction designer without delving into the theory.
3. “The Laws of Simplicity” By John Maeda. This book should be a compulsory read for all interaction designers.
4. “Principles in Design” By W. H. Mayall
5. “What is a Designer: Education and Practice: A Guide for Students and Teachers” By Norman Potter
6. “The Nature of Design” By David Pye
7. “Notes on the synthesis of form” By Christopher Alexander. A design classic.
8. “Technology as Experience” By John McCarthy, Peter Wright
9. “How Designers Think: The Design Process Demystified” By Bryan Lawson
10. “Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change” By Victor Papanek
11. “The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action” By Donald A. Schön
12. “Windows and Mirrors: Interaction Design, Digital Art, and the Myth of Transparency” By Jay David Bolter, Diane Gromala
13. “Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices” By Dan Saffer
14. “Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design” By Bill Buxton. This book helps to clarify amongst other things the difference between a prototype and a sketch. Very useful, and a good read.
15. “Developments in Design Methodology” By Nigel Cross
16. “Design: History, Theory and Practice of Product Design” By Bernhard E. Bürdek
17. “Designing Interactions” By Bill Moggridge. This seems to be the place to start as an introduction to interaction design, particularly for the history of the field.
18. “What Designers Know” By Bryan Lawson
19. “Interaction Design: Beyond Human-computer Interaction” By Jennifer Preece, Jenny Preece, Yvonne Rogers, Helen Sharp
20. “Taking Software Design Seriously: Practical Techniques for Human-computer Interaction Design” By John Karat