The Elements of User Experience

Jesse James Garrett breaks the work of building a user experience into parts, from strategy and requirements through information architecture to visual design. He argues that strong content and advanced technology are not enough on their own: a site must serve business goals and user needs together, and that takes a coherent, consistent experience. The book covers usability, brand identity, information architecture and interaction design, explained through illustrations that stress ideas over specific tools or techniques. It became a standard reference for web and interaction designers, and a later full-color edition extends the material to mobile devices and applications.

Designer Kaci Lambe Kai says it taught her that users are never the problem, only poor design, and that good designers build, test and iterate around how people actually use their work.