Here are three free books on interaction design that you don’t have to pay a penny for to read (you can purchase the print versions of two of the books listed below if you like).
‘Designing Interfaces’ by Jenifer Tidwell
Summary
(As mentioned at the book’s website)
An intermediate-level book about interface and interaction design, structured as a pattern language. It features real-live examples from desktop applications, web sites, web applications, mobile devices, and everything in between. This site contains excerpts from some of the book’s patterns. The book has more, of course — more introductory material, more patterns, and more examples. Naturally, I’d like you to buy it! But this material has been on the Web for a while, and I’d like to keep it here.
Link to Free Book & Format
Publishing Date
November 2005
Author
Paid Formats available
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design
‘Thoughts on Interaction Design’ by John Kolko
Summary
(As mentioned by Robert Blinn, core77)
…Kolko referenced all of the right bibles, from the aforementioned Dreyfuss and Norman to visual thinkers like Edward Tufte. His work is erudite, expressive and ably explains the field of interaction design using academic references, historical precedent and real world examples. Kolko also writes with just the right amount of indignation at the problems inherent in a traditional manufacturing flow. … while Thoughts is a solid resource for designers, it is less important for designers to read than it is for us to proselytize and to try to pass a dog-eared copy up through middle management and hopefully all the way to the CEO.
Link to Free Book & Format
Publishing Date
March 2007
Author
Jon Kolko
Contributions by Ellen Beldner, Uday Gajendar, Chris Connors and Justin Petro.
Paid Formats available
Thoughts on Interaction Design
‘Working through Screens’ by Jacob Burghardt
Summary
(As mentioned at the book’s website)
100 Ideas for Envisioning Powerful, Engaging, and Productive User Experiences in Knowledge Work. This book is a reference for product teams creating new or iteratively improved applications for thinking work. Written for use during early, formative conversations, it provides teams with a broad range of considerations for setting the overall direction and priorities for their onscreen tools. With hundreds of envisioning questions and fictional examples from clinical research, financial trading, and architecture, this volume can help definers and designers to explore innovative new directions for their products.
Link to Free Book & Format
Website/ HTML
Book/ PDF
Idea Cards/ PDF
Publishing Date
November 2008
Author
Paid Formats available
None. The book is currently available only online.
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