- Publisher
- Rockport
- Published
- 2003
- Shelf
- design: Reference
- ISBN
- 9781592530076
Reference
Universal Principles of Design
William Lidwell, Kritina Holden & Jill Butler
A hundred principles from psychology, engineering and design, each given one spread: the idea on the left, the evidence on the right.
Why read it
Hick's law, the von Restorff effect, Occam's razor, the serial position effect. These are the reasons your interface works or does not, and most designers absorb them by accident over a decade. Having them named, sourced and illustrated turns instinct into something you can explain in a review.
Why own it
The one-spread format makes it a genuine reference rather than a book you finish. Look up the principle you are about to argue for, then argue with the evidence beside you.
Who it is for
Anyone who has to defend a design decision to somebody who does not design.
Opens a search on AbeBooks, a network of independent and antiquarian sellers, which is where a good part of this shelf has to be found, because it is out of print.
Read next
Chosen because they argue with this one, not because a machine noticed they share a category.
