Top 10 Best UX Books to Read for Aspiring Designers in 2026

User Experience (UX) design is a rapidly evolving field – but some wisdom remains timeless. As we kick off 2026, it is a great time to refresh your reading list with a blend of timeless classics and cutting-edge insights.

Whether you are a junior designer just getting started or a seasoned UX veteran, the right books and resources can inspire new ideas and keep your skills sharp.

In this guide, we will highlight must-read UX books (both classic and new), including both reference books and practical guides, as well as go-to digital resources for learning and inspiration, and notable industry reports.

We will also dedicate a section to exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming UX design, including recommended readings on AI in UX.

Let us dive in!

Books on UX Design

Classic UX Books Still Worth Reading

Some books have earned their place on every designer's shelf. These classic texts capture fundamental principles of usability, human behavior, and design thinking, while also covering universal and foundational design principles that are essential to UX.

They remain remarkably relevant today and are often used as reference books by professionals. If you have not read them yet (or even if you have), now is the time:

1. The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman)

A foundational book on human-centered design, The Design of Everyday Things explains key design principles and draws on cognitive psychology to inform design decisions.

The book describes how Norman breaks down complex design concepts into clear, actionable insights, making it easier to understand why users interact with products the way they do.

Norman explains why everyday objects, from doors to stovetops, can be confusing when controls and feedback are unclear. The core message is simple: when users struggle, the design is usually the problem.

Key ideas such as visibility, feedback, affordances, and effective mapping help you design interfaces that align with real human expectations.

For further reading on cognitive psychology in UX, Jeff Johnson's "Designing with the Mind in Mind" explains the cognitive psychology underlying user interface design rules.

"The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman

2. Don't Make Me Think (Steve Krug)

A practical, easy read on web usability. Krug's principle is that interfaces should be obvious, so users do not have to stop and figure things out.

The book covers navigation, content clarity, and introduces usability testing as a practical method for evaluating and improving user experience. Although it focuses on websites, the lessons apply to almost any digital product.

Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug is a highly recommended book for web designers and developers.

"Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug

3. About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design (Alan Cooper)

A deep dive into interface design and the design process, this reference on interaction design focuses on behavior and flow, not just visuals. It covers goal-directed design, personas, patterns, and multi-device experiences.

If you are looking for a comprehensive framework that encompasses both interface design and the design process, this is one of the best long-form resources available.

"About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design" by Alan Cooper

4. Lean UX (Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden)

A modern guide for designing in Agile teams. It emphasizes rapid iteration, hypothesis-driven decision-making, and close collaboration with product and engineering teams.

Instead of relying on extensive documentation, the focus is on learning quickly through continuous building, testing, and iterative adjustments.

"Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams" by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden

5. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (Susan Weinschenk)

A UX-focused psychology primer that draws on behavioral economics and addresses cognitive bias in design. It turns research on attention, memory, decision-making, and motivation into practical takeaways you can apply immediately.

"100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People" by Susan Weinschenk applies psychology and behavioral science to UX design. It is beneficial for making interfaces feel more intuitive because it anchors design choices in how people actually think and behave.

Together, these books cover core usability principles, interaction design, user psychology, and modern team workflows. They are a strong foundation for anyone building digital products.

"100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People" by Susan Weinschenk

New and Noteworthy UX Books

The UX landscape does not stand still. In the past couple of years, designers have faced emerging challenges – from designing for social impact to collaborating with AI. Here are some recent UX design books and publications that reflect the evolving practices and issues shaping UX in 2025–2026.

6. Design for a Better World (Don Norman, 2023)

Norman argues that designers should move beyond human-centered design toward humanity-centered design, especially when addressing the challenges of designing for the digital world. The focus shifts to sustainability, social equity, and long-term impact, not just usability and business outcomes.

The book also emphasizes the importance of content strategy in achieving sustainability and social equity, highlighting how organizing information effectively can drive positive change. The book is part critique and part manifesto, pushing designers to measure "success" by how products improve real well-being.

Design for a Better World

7. Unmasking AI (Joy Buolamwini, 2023)

A clear, powerful look at how biased data and opaque algorithms can cause real harm, from unfair facial recognition to discriminatory automated decisions. For UX and product teams, the takeaway is practical: build AI experiences that prioritize transparency, accountability, and fairness.

Designers should consider ethical implications when applying psychological principles to user experience. The book provides practical advice for designers and highlights the moral implications of AI in user experience design.

Unmasking AI

8. Big Data, Big Design (Helen Armstrong, 2021)

A practical bridge between UX and AI/ML, this book guides design research and provides specific insights on conducting research in the context of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Through case studies and interviews, it explains how designers can work with machine learning, design for uncertain outputs, and use data responsibly. It is approachable and valuable if you want a grounded starting point for "how AI changes design work."

Big Data, Big Design

9. Strategic Writing for UX (Torrey Podmajersky, 2018)

A go-to guide for UX writing and content design, this book explores content strategy and its crucial role in creating effective information architecture for digital products. It teaches how to write interface copy that is clear, actionable, and consistent with brand voice, from buttons and onboarding to error messages.

As products get more conversational and inclusive language becomes standard, this skill is increasingly central to UX.

Strategic Writing for UX

10. Inclusive Design and Ethics

If you want to go deeper into social impact and inclusion, these two are strong perspective expanders. These books offer excellent examples of inclusive design and serve as a valuable guide for navigating ethical challenges.

Design Justice (Sasha Costanza-Chock, 2020) emphasizes community-led approaches and the power dynamics inherent in the design process. Technically Wrong (Sara Wachter-Boettcher, 2017) shows how products can exclude or harm users through "small" decisions, and how to avoid those traps.

Each of these newer publications addresses a facet of UX that's especially pertinent today – whether it is designing for global good, integrating AI, honing your product's voice, or championing inclusivity.

By reading broadly, you will be better equipped to face the challenges of modern UX work, from ethics to emerging technologies. Plus, you will likely come away inspired and full of fresh ideas for your own projects.

A person with a pile of books

Essential Digital Resources for UX Designers

Books are a great foundation, but learning in UX does not stop there. This list is a one-stop resource for UX designers, featuring well-structured online materials that include knowledge to help designers at all levels.

The UX community boasts a wealth of online resources, including blogs, publications, and communities, that provide ongoing education, practical guidance, and inspiration.

Both experienced designers and other designers contribute to these resources, sharing insights and valuable tips. Below are some of the best resources to bookmark in 2026.

Clay Blog

Clay's blog is a valuable source of in-depth explorations into design topics and practical advice for designers, providing up-to-date insights on UX, product design, and digital strategy. It stands out for combining real case studies with clear systems thinking and modern perspectives on how design shapes products.

The blog also emphasizes the importance of visual thinking, highlighting its role in design problem-solving and communication through the use of sketches, illustrations, and visual tools.

You will find in-depth analyses of real design challenges, guides to tools and workflows (including AI), and process insights gleaned from the agency's work with major clients.

It is beneficial if you want to improve how you build design systems, collaborate with product teams, or design for AI-driven interfaces - while staying grounded in execution, not just theory.

Clay's blog

Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g)

NN/g is one of the most trusted sources for research-backed UX guidance, providing essential resources for user experience teams and covering best practices in usability testing. Co-founded by Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman, it publishes evidence-based articles on usability, interaction design, content, and UX strategy.

NN/g also offers guidance on synthesizing research findings to inform design decisions. When you are stuck on a problem like onboarding, form design, navigation, or scrolling patterns, NN/g is often the fastest way to find grounded recommendations. They also publish videos, podcasts, and free reports that make it easy to stay current.

UX Collective

UX Collective is a significant and active publication that offers a curated list of articles, providing excellent and practical advice for UX professionals. You will find trend analysis, case studies, career advice, and emerging topics, such as design operations (DevOps) and UX writing.

It helps stay plugged into the broader conversation and see how other teams approach real problems. Their newsletters and recurring reports can also help you spot themes across the industry.

Smashing Magazine

Smashing Magazine is a long-running publication renowned for its in-depth, practical guides. It covers responsive web design, responsive website techniques, and interface design best practices, along with UX, accessibility, front-end, and design systems.

Often featuring detailed examples and implementation advice, Smashing is a strong go-to if you want to level up practical skills, such as responsive patterns, typography, performance-minded UI, or accessible components.

Source: Smashing Magazine

Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)

IxDF is a significant learning platform with an extensive UX encyclopedia and structured courses. It offers resources on design principles and design research, including free ebooks for learners.

While complete courses are paid, there is plenty of free material, including articles, definitions, and concept overviews. It is invaluable when you want a more organized path through fundamentals, like Gestalt principles, design thinking, and research methods.

One practical tip: pick a small set of reliable sources and follow them consistently. The internet is noisy, and a focused reading list helps you maintain a clear signal.

Notable UX Reports and Trend Insights

Beyond books and blogs, it is helpful to take a step back and track where UX is heading. In the last few years, several widely read reports and surveys have captured industry shifts, challenges, and emerging best practices.

Industry reports consistently highlight the importance of UX research and qualitative research methods for understanding user needs and informing design decisions.

These resources are helpful because they combine data and perspectives from across the field, showing where UX is gaining influence and where it is being squeezed. Key research methods discussed in these reports include mapping experiences, card sorting, contextual inquiry, and diary studies.

It is also important to note that surveys can be misleading and should be designed carefully to avoid bias in UX research.

The State of UX in 2025 (UX Collective)

UX Collective's annual report (edited by Fabricio Teixeira and Caio Braga) reads like a sharp reflection on how the profession is changing. A central theme is that design decision-making is increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation, and business pressures, which can reduce how much control designers have over outcomes.

The report also highlights how generative tools are changing expectations around speed, ownership, and perceived value of design work. It is not purely pessimistic, however. The message is a call for designers to prioritize quality, ethics, and user well-being over short-term metrics.

User Research and Career Reports

User Interviews' State of User Research compiles survey findings on methods, tools, and workflow challenges, offering a practical pulse check on how research teams operate.

The UXPA Salary Survey offers compensation and demographic benchmarks, providing valuable insights for career planning and negotiation. Even if you are not research-focused, these reports reveal common pain points across teams, such as budget constraints and the challenge of advocating for UX.

Overall, these reports are valuable because they remind you that UX does not happen in a vacuum. Economic cycles, new technology, and shifting org incentives all shape what gets built and why. Reading a few each year can help you anticipate change, choose skills to strengthen, and stay grounded in what matters.

How AI Is Changing UX Design

The good news is that several UX professionals and authors are actively exploring the intersection of AI and design. AI can be leveraged to create habit-forming products by utilizing frameworks like the Hook Model, which includes the concept of variable reward to drive user engagement.

The Hook Model outlines four elements that create a habit cycle: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. AI also impacts user interface and user experience design by enabling features such as 'press enter' prompts for user input or navigation, and 'view image' actions that allow users to expand or see pictures in full detail.

Here are a few recommended books and resources specifically focused on AI in UX:

• AI for UX Designers (Lise Pilot, 2024): A practical guide for designers who want to use AI in everyday work. It covers how AI can support research synthesis, ideation, prototyping, and testing, treating AI as both a workflow tool and a design element that can be integrated into the product. The emphasis is on utilizing AI to expedite routine tasks while preserving human judgment, meeting user needs, and adhering to ethical considerations.
• UX for AI (Greg Nudelman, 2025): A strategy-focused framework for designing AI-driven products. Nudelman advocates for a clear rule: start with user problems and then match them to what AI is actually good at. The book covers patterns for chat and conversational flows, agent-like experiences, and "invisible" AI features, with practical guidance on onboarding, failure states, and setting expectations.
• You Look Like a Thing, and I Love You (Janelle Shane, 2019): A friendly, funny way to understand how machine learning fails in real life. It does not teach math, but it does teach intuition. Seeing how AI "breaks" helps designers set realistic expectations, design guardrails, and avoid overpromising.
• Atomic Design (Brad Frost): Atomic Design offers a method for building robust and versatile design systems that scale, which is particularly relevant for AI-driven products.
• Designing Interfaces (Jenifer Tidwell): A comprehensive resource on best practices and patterns for designing interfaces, including those enhanced by AI.

The common thread running through these resources is simple: you do not need to become a data scientist, but you do need to understand AI's strengths, limitations, and risks. Used effectively, AI can accelerate UX work and enable new product experiences, as long as transparency, control, and human outcomes remain at the center.

FAQ

I'm New To UX. Where Should I Start?

Start with Don't Make Me Think for practical usability instincts. Then read The Design of Everyday Things to understand real user behavior. Add 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People for everyday psychology.

I'm Already Working In UX. Which Books Will Level Me Up Fastest?

Pick books that improve decisions and teamwork. About Face sharpens interaction design. Lean UX (Second Edition) helps you move faster without sacrificing research. Design for a Better World fosters systems-level thinking.

For advanced learning, consider the second edition of key books, such as Universal Principlesof Design by William Lidwell, which covers essential universal principles that guide experienced designers in creating user-friendly and effective products. The Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski presents ten principles sourced from behavioral economics and user behavior research.

Do I Need To Read All 10 Books To Get Value From This List?

No. Choose 3 to 4 based on your current gap. The books are well structured and have essential knowledge included, so you can maximize learning even if you do not read them all. Learn more by applying a few books than by reading everything.

What's A Smart Reading Order If I Want A Clear Learning Path?

Go foundations first, then interaction depth, then product collaboration, then writing, then ethics and AI. Apply each step to a real project as you go.

How Do I Stay Current In UX In 2026 Beyond Books?

Follow a small set consistently. Use NN g for evidence-based guidance, Smashing Magazine for practical patterns and accessibility, and UX Collective for case studies.

Add Clay Blog for modern product design workflows and execution. Some of these platforms serve as a one-stop resource for UX knowledge, providing a comprehensive range of content and tools.

Read More:

• UX Strategy: Guide, Insights, Tips for 2026
• UX Design Research Methods Simplified: Explaining the Key Techniques
• UI vs UX: What's the Difference and Why It Matters

Conclusion

This article provides a curated list of reference books that offer a solid foundation for UX designers at any stage of their career. UX design is a rapidly evolving field that requires professionals to stay updated with the latest trends and resources.

Select resources based on the specific problem at hand. Pick up Don't Make Me Think for a quick usability reset. Read Design for a Better World to explore design's broader impact.

UX is rewarding in 2026 because the community shares a wealth of knowledge and expertise. People teach through books, articles, and research, and you can level up fast by learning from that work.