Top web design books you need to read

Web design can be a surprisingly big field. It deals in many different topics, from human psychology to artistry and color palettes. With more and more people flocking over to the industry, demand for useful books has never been higher.

And so, we decided to put together a list of great web design books that approach different aspects of design. No matter if you’re a curious design student or an experienced designer looking for inspiration – you’re bound to find something for your mind here. Keep your favorite UI design tool at hand!

Thinking with Type sets out to be a one-stop shop for everything related to communicating with typefaces. It’s a bestseller, earning praise from countless readers. It takes a close look at crucial things like alignment, shape, and order.

This web design book can truly help us understand why some fonts are commonly used and what makes them so attractive. It explains all the classic rules of using typography for design – and even shows us how to break them correctly. There’s plenty of theory laid down in the book, with plenty of visual examples.

The original pitch of this book sets it out to be for everyone that works with words and visuals, from editors, writers to designers. We can say that web designers can truly benefit from reading this book for a dive into the world of typography, as well as keeping it at hand for occasional referencing.

Color and color theory plays such a huge part in web design. Despite many designers having a natural instinct when it comes to the choice of color palette, the theory itself can still be a bit challenging. It’s a necessary skill to master when it comes to creating digital products, and this book can help you with that. Interaction of Color was originally meant for artists and art teachers – but its value can benefit almost anyone.

This web design book covers everything color-related, from color relativity, intensity, and temperature to vibrating boundaries; and the illusion of transparency. Its original content was published in the 1970s and since then it’s been revisited and expanded repeatedly. Interaction of color is a wonderful book to have at hand, even if you’re an experienced designer.

The philosophy behind Powered by Design is simple but of huge consequence. It says that designers are no longer just people who create visuals or make things look good – those times are gone. Today, with the world of digital design, designers need to be problem-solvers.

This web design book was originally meant as an introduction to graphic design but has since conquered the minds of countless web designers. It goes over all the crucial principles and rules of design, offering an up-to-date and trustworthy take on the basics of good design. Aside from that, the author also offers wisdom on more practical issues that designers deal with, like accessibility, ethics and even history.

This web design book has a slightly different approach from the others on this list. Instead of looking at design as problem-solving, it considers design as a means of communication. Nowadays, people are bombarded with visual stories no matter where they look with advertising being a good example. Visual Grammar sets out to be both a dictionary of the visual language but also a way to better understand visual stories.

This web design book considers everything that designers need in order to create a digital product that can literally talk to its users. From dimension, format, form, size, color, and saturation to activities such as repetition, mirroring, movement. It’s a wonderful book because it changes the way we perceive the visuals all around while also helping us to communicate better.

No web book design list would be complete without at least one book on logo design. Logo Modernism takes a look at how people created logos in the past and how the practice has evolved over time. Comparing modern logos to modernist architecture, this web design book is all about creating a corporate identity with a humble logo.

The book has three main sections, with each looking at different types of logos: geometric, effect, and typographic. These sections are then subdivided according to different styles and forms. Altogether, this book can change the way we look at logos and give designers a good understanding at this crucial part of modern web design.

We like that the book also includes plenty of real-world case studies, as well as a brief overview of the lives of designers who changed the game with a clever logo.

This web design book is all about the visual aspect of digital products. It approaches digital designs on the basis that if the visuals fall flat, the user experience is going to as well. Written by an art educator, Visual Design Solutions is a book for anyone trying to step up their graphic design game.

One of the most interesting things about this book is that it focuses on creating designs of an instructional nature, such as distance learning courses or informational presentations. The book itself is filled with strategies that showcase the difference between good design and visuals that just feel bland.

Design is Storytelling takes a similar approach to some of the other web design books on this list, but with a twist. It looks at design as a way of communication, seeking to tell stories that can improve just about any design or experience. The name of the game here is dynamic experiences, where designers create designs that can unlock feelings and keep the content engaging.

We love the concept of using design in order to create a narrative – that’s powerful stuff. This book can help designers, especially those who are only getting started, to create products that are truly persuasive. It’s about creating the narrative arc, encouraging the right actions, and using the space to your advantage.

This book also looks at web design as a means of communication but takes a different approach. Visual Communication Design is all about knowing your bases, cultivating an array of practical knowledge that can help you make good design decisions. It has a bit of everything, from cognitive scientific studies to cultural traits that can affect interpretation.

This book is undeniably useful to anyone who works in design. It’s got everything to transform designers into professionals well-versed in human behavior. The content covers both the theoretical and the practical, offering concrete examples of all the relevant design concepts.

As a web design book, it can give you perspective and expand your horizons. After reading, you may find yourself breaking down your own visual experiences in day-to-day life and start seeing improvements to your approach to design obstacles.

This web design book is wonderfully useful. Unlike all the other popular books on design, this one doesn’t cover the theory of color or analyses human behavior.

Just like the name suggests, What They Didn’t Teach You In Design School is about what happens after graduation. It focuses on making the leap from student to full-blown professional, covering that crucial entrance into the job market. You can expect to find all sorts of practical information, like impressing on the first job interview or dealing with customers.

The people who would benefit the most from this web design book are, naturally, those recently graduated from design school. More experienced designers will have no need for the majority of advice, given it focuses on becoming a designer that gets paid for their art. We love that the book includes case studies, interviews and quotes from wildly successful people in the industry, making for an eye-opening read.

Yes, the title of this web design book is a bit of a mouthful: How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, Make Things Look Better, Make People Laugh, Make People Cry, and (Every Once in a While) Change the World. However, How To Use Graphic Design is indeed a wonderful read for anyone in the design industry. It offers plenty of practical advice while also sharing the personal journey of the author, Michael Bierut.

Readers are quick to praise this book as both a point of reference and a source of inspiration. The content is made so that it illustrates the power of good design and how designers can use it to do just about anything. We love that the author shares many of his own personal projects, with each one capturing his philosophy and approach to design.

Picking up a good book is always a wonderful experience. It can both transport, illuminate and teach you about the industry. These web design books were specifically chosen because they received praise from readers, be it because they were inspired or because they learned something useful for their practice. Be it as it may, you’re bound to find a book here that can not only leave a mark but give you some new-found perspective on the game of design.