Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Don't Make Me Think (200 pages) Grokking Algorithms An Illustrated Guide For Programmers and Other Curious People (235 pages)

If there is one UI design book to read, "dont make me think" is it. And if you don't have time for it's already speedy read, the entire book gets summed up in the title: Don't make your users think about how to use your software.

Try to learn and understand design as a discipline before going into the specifics of user interfaces and interaction design. For that I recommend: - Universal Principles of Design - William Lidwell - The Design of Everyday Things - Donald A. Norman Then for more practical knowledge: - Forms that Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability - Caroline Jarrett - Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability - Steve Krug - Designing the Obvious: A Common Sense Approach to Web & Mobile Application Design - Robert Hoekman Jr. - Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design - Bill Buxton

"Don't Make Me Think!" ~ Steve Krug