Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers (Voices That Matter); by Shel Perkins
Amazon Description: “This comprehensive guide includes everything designers need—besides talent—to turn their artistic success into business success. You’ll find information on key issues facing designers from freelancing to the management of established design firms. A strong visual focus and to-the-point text take the fear factor out of learning about thorny business realities like staffing, marketing, bookkeeping, intellectual property, and more. These smart business practices are essential to success in graphic, Web, and industrial design”.
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition (Voices That Matter); by Steve Krug
Amazon Description: “The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book’s assumptions, such as "We don’t read pages–we scan them" and "We don’t figure out how things work–we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.”
I ordered this for my husband for his birthday. I quickly discovered that I enjoy it as well so I’ve been stealing his issues. I’m currently checking out their Back to School Gift Guide 2009.
Tags: design, web usability, wired
