You’ve collected a reading list of UX books, and you are eager to get into them, but then you check the prices on Amazon and decide that you might have to settle for only 1 or 2.
Before you negotiate an increase on your credit card check out these free resources that might get you just what you need. And you won’t have to spend a dime.
Borrow UX Books from your Local Public Library
If you like physical books your best bet will be your local public library.
You will be surprised by the selection of design books (including UX) that they carry.
I lived in a smaller city in Canada, and I was able to find a good number of popular UX books.
Now I live in Austin, TX area in USA and I find lots of UX design books in the local library as well.
Many public libraries provide free access to ebook services like Hoopla and Overdrive. You might be able to find some UX books there.
If you are a student, your university library might have a good selection as well.
Get UX Books on O’Reilly Learning
Formerly Safari Books Online, O’Reilly Learning is like Netflix for books (and video courses). They have tens of thousands of tech books. You can find virtually any UX design book there.
It is not free, but again you might be able to have access through your local public or university library (I know mine does).
If you are serious about learning, it might not be a bad idea to buy a subscription. It is not cheap but might be well worth it.
There is free trial that you can take advantage of and get some reading done absolutely free of charge.
UX Books on Scribd
Scribd is a much less expensive subscription option, and it does have a great selection of UX design books.
I found a good number of books from the recommended list, and added them to Scribd UX Design reading list. Check it out!
Also take advantage of free 2 month trial on Scribd by subscribing via my affiliate link.
Make the most of your reading
If you read a lot (like I do) you will find Readwise very helpful. It is a note taking app that is a great companion to any avid reader.
With Readwise you can:
- Save highlights from any Web page via browser extension
- Save highlights from physical books by taking a pic of the page and selecting the text to save! Works like a charm!
- It also auto-syncs with Kindle, iBooks, Medium, Pocket
- Organize highlights with tags
- Review highlights on regular basis
Sign up for free and sync your highlights to get a free month to Readwise. You will also get a big thank you from me! (I’ll also get a free month).
