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A great resource, bringing readers through web development process, workflow, and methodology…from conceptualization to maintenace. Perfect for Project Managers to wrap their hands around entire the development process. 

Book: Web Redesign 2.0

Author: Kelly Goto, Emily Cotler

Amazon Description: If anything, this volume’s premise–that the business of Web design is one of constant change-has only proven truer over time. So much so, in fact, that the 12-month design cycles cited in the last edition have shrunk to 6 or even 3 months today. Which is why, more than ever, you need a smart, practical guide that demonstrates how to plan, budget, organize, and manage your Web redesign - or even you initial design - projects from conceptualization to launch. This volume delivers! In these pages Web designer extraordinaire Kelly Gotoand coauthor Emily Cotler have distilled their real-world experience into a sound approach to Web redesign workflow that is as much about business priorities as it is about good design. By focusing on where these priorities intersect, Kelly and Emily get straight to the heart of the matter. Each chapter includes a case study that illustrates a key step in the process, and you’ll find a plethora of forms, checklists, and worksheets that help you put knowledge into action.

“Getting Real” is a must read book for anyone building a web application. Although not specifically a usability book…it touches on development philosophies that UI/UX professionals need to be familiar with.

From the people who brought you Basecamp, Backpack, and Ruby on Rails…this book is a discourse on the right way to build great web apps. This is not a tech manual…it is a philosophy on how to get web software out into the world swiftly and successfully. And for the bootstrapping entrepreneur…you can read Getting Real…for FREE!

As a person who worked as PM for a company who insisted on doing it the “wrong” way…focusing on countless iterations of functional specs, drawing up useless flow diagrams, incessant planning…”Getting Real” is a breath of fresh air! 

“Don’t Make Me Think” is a great starting point in learning more about UI. It’s a great primer with ideas that any website can use to enhance its usability. It has great tips…ranging from best practices in using web conventions…to a step-by-step guide on administering your own usability test.

The only downside to this book (which is why I call it a primer) is that there is a wide range of different types of web sites (web apps, ecommerce, blogs, informational, etc) that would have different UI requirements. But that would be beyond the scope of this book. Also, it doesn’t really take into account how Web 2.0, AJAX, and other emerging technologies are changing some of the rules and conventions of UI. That said…it is an excellent starting point for usability issues that EVERY web developer should think about.

The only other negative comment is after reading the book, I visited the author’s own website about UI, www.sensible.com, and I can’t say it was as intuitive as I expected. But, it did remind me of Jakob Nielson’s website, another highly recognized UI expert.

You know those snarky Apple commercials that contrast a hip young Apple user against an overweight stuffy PC user? To me, that basically sums up the author, Guy Kawasaki, and his book, The Art of the Start…Guy being the hip young Apple user of course. 

This is required reading for any web entrepreneur and tops the list on most VC’s recommended reading. Guy brings years of experience as an Apple strategist, a VC, and an entrepreneur…and basically tells it to you straight on how the game works. Having seen thousands of pitches from startups and witness which ones get funded, he basically tells you what works, what doesn’t, and what VC’s are looking for.

Beyond just coaching young entrepreneurs on the ins-and-outs of the startup business, there is an undercurrent of passion that resounds with most of us entrepreneurs (which is also probably why this is such a page turner for us): to create a product or company that makes the world a better place. I can only imagine the amount of cynicism he must accumulate after seeing so many bad startup ideas pass through his desk…but you can definitely see that Apple idealism shine through in his determination to help the best ideas become reality. 

Related Links:
Guy Kawasaki
Guy’s Blog
Garage Technology Ventures (Guy’s VC Company)