Great Introduction to Good Design

Title: The Design of Everyday Things
Author: Donald E. Norman
Genre: Business/design bible

This book is an excellent introduction to the idea behind usability design – or, in plainer words, designing things so that humans find them intuitive to use. As Norman shows, using lots of examples, it is relevant in almost everything we do; from making doors in a way so people understand they should push, not pull, to designing cockpits in a way that minimises the risk of human errors (surely a desirable goal).

One word of warning. Reading The Design of Everyday Things is the mental equivalent of a one-way street: once you get into the habit of thinking about the design of everyday objects, it is not easy to let it go again. This is a good thing.