Published on | Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium James Zhou

My 2017 reading list to supplement my design education

One of the most impactful design books on my design education is Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby’s Speculative Everything. My paradigms about the nature and function of design shifted as a direct result of reading Speculative Everything. I used to think that the only function of design is to create useful solutions. However, Speculative Everything showed me how design can also engage people in critical conversations.

This year, I have set a goal for myself to read two to three books a month. As design challenges become more systemic and complex, I believe designers need to have a generalist knowledge on a variety topics. My reading list for 2017 includes books in areas such as science, psychology, and philosophy.

I am always looking for read recommendations, especially in the area where design and philosophy intersect. I have created a list in Goodreads where you can add your suggestions.

Science

Storytelling

Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence — Lisa Cron

Personal Brand

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? — Seth Godin
Crush It! — Gary Vaynerchuk

Non Fiction

The Second Machine Age — Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee
Industries of The Future — Alec J. Ross
Originals — Adam Grant
Team of Teams — Stanley McChrystal, Chris Fussell
Mastery — Robert Greene
Double Cup Love — Eddie Huang

Business

The Hard Things About Hard Things — Ben Horowitz

Fiction

A Design Education in Books was originally published in Prototyping: From UX to Front End on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A Design Education in Books

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