29 user interface design resources: The ultimate list
There's a lot that goes into creating a beautiful (and usable) interface. It's a constant balance between creating something that looks amazing and still makes sense to your users.
We're big fans of excellent UI design, and we want to help you be the best designer you can be. We've collected 29 of our favorite resources, from tips and articles to books and more, curated just for our UI friends!
So sit back, relax, and dive right in!
Categories:
For the UI Beginner
Learn UI By Copying
UX Beginner has a great intro to getting started with UI by, you guessed it, copying other designers!
7 Rules for Creating Gorgeous UI Part 1
An entertaining and informative guide for true UI beginners from Erik Kennedy.
7 Rules for Creating Gorgeous UI Part 2
Part 2 of Erik Kennedy's awesome guide to UI for beginners.
10 User Interface Design Fundamentals
Our friends at Treehouse share a great intro to UI fundamentals in this article.
A Beginner's Guide to UI Design
If you really want to understand the roles UX and UI play in design, this post from Just Creative is just what you need.
Articles
7 Unbreakable Laws of User Interface Design
The folks at 99 designs want you to know about a few crucial laws to live by when it comes to UI.
The 'Liking' Principle in User Interface Design
An article by UX authority Nielsen Norman Group on the principles of UI design. Enough said.
Bad User Interface Design is Death by a Thousand Cuts
Paul Boag with Boagworld shares some great insight on how bad UI can ruin an experience.
What is Zero UI and Why is it Crucial to the Future of Design?
What happens when what we design is no longer contained to screens? This great FastCoDesign piece introduces you to the concept of Zero UI.
The Smart UI Design Behind Apple's Frictionless 3D Touch
Wired takes a look at Apple's newest UI for the iPhone 6S. Taking selfies will never be the same again.
4 Tips on Typography in UI Design
This great post from our friends at InVision highlights the importance of typography in communicating great UI.
User Stories: A Foundation for UI Design
UX Booth shares this great post on the benefits of implementing user stories into your design process.
Online Courses
UI Kit Fundamentals: Learn the iOS User Interface Library
Learn how to build a series of simple apps with the UIKit framework for iOS.
User Interface Design for the Web
Learn principles and techniques of user interface design, and how to put them into practice using Photoshop.
User Interface Design
Gain a strong understanding of user interface design, including web design, user experience, and usability principles.
Design UI Elements
Ramp up your Photoshop skills with course on creating user interface elements.
Books
Brave NUI World: Designing Natural User Interfaces for Touch and Gesture
If you want to give your UI knowledge a boost, check out Daniel Wigdor and Dennis Watson's great book on designing for gestural, touch-based user interfaces.
The Design of Everyday Things
One of the most popular books on user experience, this is a must read for anyone involved in the design process.
The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems
Jef Raskin explores the root of fundamental design flaws, and offers new, practical techniques to help design interfaces users will understand and love.Read More »
Don't Make Me Think
To many this is the bible of usability. Steve Krug, a veteran in the field of usability, makes it fun and easy to understand the principals of intuitive navigation and information design.
Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science Fiction
Science fiction isn't just for entertainment. Nathan Shedroff and Christopher Noessel's book takes a fun and informative look at how sci-fi movies influence interaction design.
UI Tools
Flat UI Pro
A hefty library of components, icons, and glyphs to help save you time and make design work easier.
Vonn Mobile Material Design UI Kit
If you're designing an Android app, this kit is a lifesaver. 100 drag and drop UI templates that are easy to use and look great!
Balsamiq
Balsamiq has a detailed tutorial about how mockups can work with RWD concepts, and the techniques that you can use.
Typecast
Use Monotype’s tool to design working prototypes with their visual controls and fonts. It even allows you to export production ready HTML or CSS.
Bonus! UserTesting Resources
Making Your Icons User-Friendly: A Guide to Usability in UI Design
Learn how to make your icons work for you and your users. Read More »
A Guide to Color, UX, and Conversion Rates
Color is one of the most powerful tools in a designer's toolkit. Find out how it impacts UX and conversion rates.
Designing UX for Natural User Interfaces
Learn more about natural user interfaces, and how their design impacts the user experience.
Choosing the Right Font: A Guide to Typography and UX
Find out how to make your typography both beautiful and usable.
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