For my COMD 1112 students
at CUNY CityTech
Spring 2026
The Laws of Simplicity / John Maeda
In an age of increasing technological complexity, Maeda offers ten laws and three strategies for "subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful." This text is essential for designers looking to balance the power of a tool with the ease of use that users crave.
Thinking with Type / Ellen Lupton
This is the definitive guide to using typography in visual communication. Lupton covers the essential "rules" of type—from kerning and tracking to grid systems—and then shows designers exactly how to break them creatively.
Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction / Helen Sharp & Jennifer Preece
A comprehensive, process-oriented textbook that explores how to design interactive products that support the way people communicate and interact. It bridges the gap between cognitive psychology, software engineering, and user experience.
Don’t Make Me Think / Steve Krug
Often cited as the "bible" of web usability, Krug’s common-sense approach focuses on how users actually navigate the web (by scanning and "satisficing") rather than how we wish they would. It’s a quick, witty read that fundamentally changes how you view interface design.
On Running Design Sprints
The Design Sprint / Google Ventures
The sprint is a five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers. Developed at GV, it’s a “greatest hits” of business strategy, innovation, behavior science, design thinking, and more—packaged into a battle-tested process that any team can use.
Instead of waiting to launch a minimal product to understand if an idea is any good, you’ll get clear data from a realistic prototype.