|
|
| |
| |
 |
Visualisation
& Design |
|
 |
The
Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Edward Tufte
Envisioning Information, Edward Tufte
Visual Explanations, Edward Tufte
Edward Tufte has spent years writing three books which can only
be described as "works of art". He is so fussy that
he publishes them himself in order that they are presented correctly.
Jakob Nielsen described these rather cruely as "coffee
table" books at his useit.com website. Don't be misled
by this. Tufte knows about communicating problems visually.
He has been one of the biggest critics of software user interfaces.
Correctly pointing out that they are visually heavy and wasteful
with too much emphasis on widgets and not enough on communicating
the information needed.
The first book here is about communicating statistical information.
The second one is as he says "about nouns". The most
recent one in the set is "about verbs".
They go together to make some of the most inspirational reading
for any prospective designer. Rated 5/5 |
 |
 |
|
|
| |
|
Psychology |
|
 |
The
Design of Everyday Things, Donald A. Norman
Donald Norman has been very influencial in User Interface Design.
Before he made a name for himself in UI Design, he wrote this
book. Its almost a cliche to recommend it but it is a must read
for anyone who hopes to produce usable designs. Rated 5/5 |
 |
Things
That Make Us Smart, Donald A. Norman
This is Norman's 4th book and a much deeper, less accessible
analysis in cognitive psychology. I found it fascinating. Understanding
the different kinds of cognition and learning gives you a new
framework for analysing how a User is feeling while they work
with the system or product that you are designing. Good background
reading for the UI Designer. Rated 5/5 |
 |
Living
Well, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
I was introduced to this author by a reference in a Donald Norman
book. This is a slim and very accessible read aimed at the mass
market reader. It explains what is involved in building a well
balanced life and achieving lasting happiness. A spiritual book.
|
 |
Creativity,
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
This book examines what it is that makes creative people a little
bit more extraordinary than the rest of us. Compiled from interviews
with many many extraordinary people from many walks of life,
this helps to put a little science into the understanding of
what makes people creative. Too heavy for casual reading. Rated
3/5 |
 |
How
to get Ideas, Jack Foster
Another very accessible slim little book which gives you the
12 key techniques on how to be creative. If you're employed
to have ideas for a living - like me - then this is a fascinating
little book. Rated 4/5 |
| |
|
Marketing |
|
 |
Marketing
High Technology, William H. Davidow
Bill Davidow's book about his time at Intel, is the 101 book
on high technology marketing. It describes the "Whole Product"
concept. If what you are designing isn't a whole product then
it's just another interesting piece of technology which will
get ignored.
An excellent reference for the IT manager or product designer.
Rated 4/5 |
 |
Crossing
the Chasm, Geoffrey A. Moore
Moore came a lot later and studied the problem of good "Whole
Products" which simply don't sell. This book is a superb
analysis of the technology adoption lifecycle and what can go
wrong. Moore goes on to give advice on how to get that new product
into the mainstream - how to Cross the Chasm!
A must have book for the serious product designer. Rated 5/5 |
 |
Inside
the Tornado, Geoffrey A. Moore
So you read the first book, everything is going well, in fact
too well. Your great new product is in danger of being swept
away because the competition are moving so fast. What do you
do next? Moore to the rescue once again. Don't let that great
product design get swept away by the tide! Rated 5/5 |
 |
Real
Time, Regis McKenna
Regis McKenna is the grandfather of High Technology Marketing.
He almost invented it. His company has consulted to all the
big IT players. Geoffrey Moore worked for McKenna before starting
his own practice. In this recent book, McKenna looks at how
you can use information technology to add business advantage.
Incorporating ideas from this book, could help lead to that
killer eCommerce product.
A glorified magazine article but thought provoking. Rated 3/5 |
| |
|
Object
& Data Modeling |
|
 |
Java
Modeling in Color with UML, Coad, De Luca and Lefebvre
Occassionally books come along which move the state of the art
in a technology, methodology or process. This is such a book.
The UML in Color technique significantly improves the speed
and quality of object modeling. The authors demonstrate the
beauty and strength of the technique with over 40 models of
real world problems. The content of this book changed the way
that I work and how I think about my profession. Rated 5/5 |
 |
Object
Technology, A Manager's Guide, David A.Taylor
Taylor is a psychologist who got interested in OO Analysis and
Design. In this, the 2nd edition of the book, he tries to explain
what the real business benefits are when management commit to
Object Technology.
If you can persuade your boss to read a single book on the topic
then this should be it. It's slim and it's very accessable.
One of the most usable books ever written. If your boss is a
sceptic then this is the answer. Rated 5/5. |
 |
Analysis
Patterns, Martin Fowler
More stuff in the same style as Coad. This was the leading book
on Analysis Patterns until Java Modeling. Fowler looks at analysing
real business problems and comes up with a series of re-usable
shapes. This one needs updated to use UML notation but other
than that a very very readable volume. Popular with the Investment
Banking community. 2nd edition in UML is out soon. Rated 4/5 |
 |
Data
Model Patterns, David C. Hay
This book pre-dated the Coad and Fowler books and looks at recurring
analysis patterns from a data modeler's persepective. This is
the ERD presentation of the same themes. A must have book for
those who remain firmly sceptical of OO. Not as good as the
latest Coad book and misses an opportunity to explain more about
transactions or events (moments or intervals of time in the
Coad book). Rated 4/5 |
 |
Oracle
8 Design using UML Object Modeling, Dorsey & Hudicka
A book aimed at ERD modelers, this hopes to introduce them to
UML and Object Modeling whilst showing them how the technique
can be applied to produce a highly normalised database design.
It gets many things right and has some useful chapters on complex
modeling problems such as time related data and versioning.
The chapter on inheritance is the book's only black spot. Rated
4/5 |
 |
Design
Patterns, Erich Gamma et al
It is a cliche to recommend this book. I first encountered it
in May 1995. It revolutionised the way that I think about software
design and construction. There have been many books which tried
to follow the success of this but the original is still the
best, if you want to understand what the Patterns phenomenon
is all about. I don't use this book much any more. It is a C++
book despite what it tries to claim. Still a must have for serious
software engineers. Some developers have a tendency to over-use
and over quote this book. Rated 4/5 |
|
|
| |
|
Business
& Internet Culture |
|
 |
The
Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point is the point at which something mundane
suddenly becomes popular or hugely successful, or where something
controlled suddenly breaks out and becomes uncontrolled. The
really useful material relates to kids TV shows and these lessons
can be applied to Usability and Design. |
 |
Rules
for Revolutionaries, Guy Kawasaki
What more can be said, it's a small book, by a guy who worked
at Apple as an evagelist. It advocates goal directed product
design and the clean separation of form from function. A designers
dream business strategy book. A must read for your boss. |
 |
Being
Digital, Nicholas Negroponte
This is the book which beckoned in the eCommerce revolution.
Some people have rubbished this book as mere hype. However,
ignore it at your peril. This book was essential reading for
strategists at IBM and other big players in the industry. |
 |
Release
2.0, Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson is a seasoned industry watcher and she takes time
out to examine what we technology designers are doing to society.
This book looks at what affect the internet is having and will
have on the family, the workforce and the global community.
Both of these books get more relevant every day. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
