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The Inmates are Running the Asylum by Alan Cooper
One of the most annoying books I've read however it makes some good points with great anecdotes. Remember he's writing for managers so that's why he blames programmers and technical staff, not management or marketing people who push features at the expense of usability. Note: most whinges seem to be about the Windows95 era. Windows XP in particular fixes many of them and is very goal-oriented.
One of the most annoying books I've read however it makes some good points with great anecdotes. Remember he's writing for managers so that's why he blames programmers and technical staff, not management or marketing people who push features at the expense of usability.
Note: most whinges seem to be about the Windows95 era. Windows XP in particular fixes many of them and is very goal-oriented.
Hardback (263 pages). Published by SAMS, 1999 ISBN: 0-672-31649-8
Designing Visual Interfaces : Communication Oriented Techniques by Kevin Mullet, Darrell Sano
This is a BEAUTIFUL little book which "approaches interface design from the perspective of communication-oriented graphic design, industrial design, and architecture." It is full of examples of good and bad interface, discussion of layout (including grids). eg: the 10 pages on grids has 9 illustrations including 4 screen shots. The book includes screens and discussions of standards from Mac, MS Windows, Open Look and Motif. Nobody is spared bouquets or brickbats. This is now my number-one "must buy" for anyone in interface design. It is so clearly written you can use it to explain almost any point of discussion that comes up in trying to explain why a design is good/bad.
This is a BEAUTIFUL little book which "approaches interface design from the perspective of communication-oriented graphic design, industrial design, and architecture."
It is full of examples of good and bad interface, discussion of layout (including grids). eg: the 10 pages on grids has 9 illustrations including 4 screen shots.
The book includes screens and discussions of standards from Mac, MS Windows, Open Look and Motif. Nobody is spared bouquets or brickbats.
This is now my number-one "must buy" for anyone in interface design. It is so clearly written you can use it to explain almost any point of discussion that comes up in trying to explain why a design is good/bad.
Paperback (273 pages). Published by Prentice Hall, January 1, 1995 ISBN: 0133033899
Art of Human-Computer Interface Design by Brenda Laurel (Editor)
Classic collection of papers, dated but the ideas are good background.
Paperback (523 pages). Published by Addison-Wesley Pub Co, July 1990 ISBN: 0201517973
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward R. Tufte
Description forthcoming
Hardcover (Reprint). Published by Graphics Pr, February 1992 ISBN: 096139210X
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
Paperback (257 pages, Reissue). Published by Currency/Doubleday, March 1, 1990 ISBN: 0385267746
Things That Make Us Smart : Defending Human Attributes in the Age of the Machine by Donald A. Norman
Paperback (Reprint). Published by Addison-Wesley Pub Co, May 1, 1994 ISBN: 0201626950
Turn Signals Are the Facial Expressions of Automobiles by Donald A. Norman
Paperback. Published by Addison-Wesley Pub Co, May 1, 1993 ISBN: 020162236X
Computers As Theatre by Brenda Laurel
Paperback (227 pages, Reprint). Published by Addison-Wesley Pub Co, August 1, 1993 ISBN: 0201550601
Bringing Design to Software by Terry Winograd (Editor), John Bennett (Editor), Laura De Young (Editor)
Paperback. Published by Addison-Wesley Pub Co, February 1, 1996 ISBN: 0201854910
