[gizmo]

- Build by Fadell

- Hard Drive by Wallace

- The Inmates Are Running the Asylum by Cooper

These three books are some of the best books in their respective categories. All three are about product design in a way. Build is about the development of the iPhone and Nest. Hard Drive is about the early history of MS and about the stunts Gates pulled to win. Inmates argues that programmers tend to hijack the product design process because they can (programmers write the code after all), and that products suffer as a result.

[DwnVoteHoneyPot]

> Inmates argues that programmers tend to hijack the product design process because they can (programmers write the code after all), and that products suffer as a result.

Yikes! The typical HN post says MBAs ruin everything. Who knew programmers who have troubles interacting with people would build products which have troubles interacting with people!? (i'm not an MBA)

[WheelsAtLarge]

The engineering and tech mind is different from most. We tend to focus on adding function because we think it's cool. Eventually the software gets so complicated that general users find it a chore to use. All they want to do is get their work done and move on. It's hard for us to truly believe that more function is not always better.

BTW, look at HN. It can have so many more functions but it does not. As a result it's very easy to use for everyone no PhD in HN needed.

[malshe]

Great list! Do you have any recommendations for books on inclusive design? Does any of these books touch upon the topic?

[gizmo]

Thanks! I don't have a great recommendation. About Face by Cooper (same author as Inmates) is good, but only covers inclusive design indirectly. Good design makes products automatically more inclusive, but design specifically for people with impairments is something I know nothing about.

[malshe]

Got it. Thanks!