{"id":15795,"date":"2018-08-13T11:00:04","date_gmt":"2018-08-13T10:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=15795"},"modified":"2020-09-03T12:55:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T11:55:00","slug":"40-books-to-maximize-your-creative-potential-and-level-up-in-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/40-books-to-maximize-your-creative-potential-and-level-up-in-design\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Books to Maximize Your Creative Potential and Level-Up in\u00a0Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h2>\n

These books have been the most impactful books in my work+life. They have helped me stay inspired, learn from the experts and motivate my best work.<\/p>\n

Use these books to examine your beliefs, attitudes, habits and skills. You\u2019ll learn how to invest in yourself, build a remarkable career and live a fulfilling creative life.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking specifically for UX\/Product Design book recommendations, see my experimentally hyperbolic <\/em>The Only UX Reading List Ever<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Build your dream career and fly\u00a0higher<\/h2>\n

Can you step outside your comfort zone? Bounce back from failure? Build new skills? Tapping your true potential does not just happen. It demands dedication, creativity, and a whole lot of self-awareness. Learn the why\u2019s and how\u2019s with these reads.<\/em><\/p>\n

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  1. \nSo Good They Can\u2019t Ignore You<\/a> by Cal Newport<\/li>\n
  2. \nLinchpin<\/a> and The Icarus Deception<\/a> by Seth Godin<\/li>\n
  3. \nMaximize Your Potential<\/a>, by 99U, Jocelyn K. Glei<\/li>\n
  4. \nHow Will You Measure Your Life?<\/a>, by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, Karen Dillon<\/li>\n
  5. \nMastery<\/a> by Robert Greene<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Tame your inner grouch and elevate your\u00a0mindset<\/h2>\n

    Keeping a positive mindset is incredibly difficult to do when the pressure to succeed is high and the world feels like it\u2019s going to shit. Most of us think that our biggest barriers are external, however the truth is, negativity is in our own heads and is our biggest enemy. Change what you can do, by changing how you think. (I\u2019ve also written about this, see <\/em>Taming your inner grouch<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \nMindset<\/a>, by Carol S. Dweck<\/li>\n
    2. \nBanish Your Inner Critic<\/a>, by Denise Jacobs<\/li>\n
    3. \nThe War of Art<\/a>, by Steven Pressfield<\/li>\n
    4. \nThinking, Fast and Slow<\/a>, by Daniel Kahneman<\/li>\n
    5. \nLiminal Thinking<\/a>, by Dave Gray<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Unleash and sharpen your creativity<\/h2>\n

      When you\u2019re feeling stuck, sometimes it\u2019s best to ditch your go-to thinking patterns and try something different. These books list concrete strategies for generating ideas, while also explaining how creativity works. You\u2019ll build an arsenal of tools to help unleash the possibilities hidden within your mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

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      1. \nThe 46 Rules of Genius<\/a>, by Marty Neumeier<\/li>\n
      2. \nCreative Workshop<\/a>, by David Sherwin<\/li>\n
      3. \nMaking Ideas Happen<\/a>, by Scott Belsky<\/li>\n
      4. \nThe Dance of the Possible<\/a>, by Scott Berkun<\/li>\n
      5. \nCreative Confidence<\/a>, by Tom Kelley<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Work smarter and be more productive<\/h2>\n

        Being able to stay focused is an increasingly valuable skill in our connected age. Packed with insights and practical strategies, these reads have been an invaluable resource in the way I spend my hours. Learn how to minimize distractions, stay focussed and produce better results in less time.<\/em><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \nManage Your Day-to-Day<\/a>, by 99U, Jocelyn K. Glei<\/li>\n
        2. \nDeep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World<\/a>, by Cal Newport<\/li>\n
        3. \nUnsubscribe<\/a>, by Jocelyn K. Glei<\/li>\n
        4. \nFlow<\/a>, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi<\/li>\n
        5. \nEssentialism<\/a>, by Greg McKeown<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Tell more captivating stories<\/h2>\n

          Stoytelling is a foundational skill for designers, whether to sell yourself, or to sell your work. But, great stories, don\u2019t just happen randomly; they are designed.
          Read these books to master the art of storytelling, create and deliver better presentations and captivate your audience.<\/em><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \nResonate<\/a>, by Nancy Duarte<\/li>\n
          2. \nThe Story Factor<\/a>, by Annette Simmons, Doug Lipman<\/li>\n
          3. \nBlah Blah Blah<\/a>, by Dan Roam<\/li>\n
          4. \nStorytelling for User Experience<\/a>, by Whitney Quesenbery, Kevin Brooks<\/li>\n
          5. \nMade to Stick<\/a>, by Chip Heath, Dan Heath<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Collaborate and build stronger relationships<\/h2>\n

            While conflict is inevitable, constructive conflict relies so much on communication and conversations. Conversations move things forward and stop things from moving forward. These books will help you better empathize and effectively communicate with yourself and your colleagues.<\/em><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \nPractical Empathy<\/a>, by Indi Young<\/li>\n
            2. \nDesigning Together<\/a>, by Dan Brown<\/li>\n
            3. \nCrucial Conversations<\/a>, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler<\/li>\n
            4. \nHow to Win Friends and Influence People<\/a>, by Dale Carnegie<\/li>\n
            5. \nRadical Candor<\/a>, by Kim Scott<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Stay inspired<\/h2>\n

              The best design books have the power to spark new thoughts, theories, ideas, and opinions. Offering practical advice, facts, anecdotes and inspiration, at least one of these should be in the house of a designer.<\/em><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. \nCreativity, Inc.<\/a>, by Ed Catmull<\/li>\n
              2. \nDamn Good Advice<\/a>, by George Lois<\/li>\n
              3. \nThe Art of Looking Sideways<\/a>, by Alan Fletcher<\/li>\n
              4. \nDesign As Art<\/a>, by Bruno Munari<\/li>\n
              5. \nThe Graphic Design Idea Book<\/a>, by Steven Heller<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Healthy habits to live\u00a0wiser<\/h2>\n

                It\u2019s impossible to separate our work from our life. Tap into the collective advice on health, wealth, and wisdom distilled into super actionable tools and tactics.<\/em><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. \nReinvent Yourself<\/a>, by James Altucher<\/li>\n
                2. \nThe Sleep Revolution<\/a>, by Arianna Huffington<\/li>\n
                3. \nNudge<\/a>, by Richard H. Thaler<\/li>\n
                4. \nThe Daily Stoic<\/a>, by Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman<\/li>\n
                5. \nTools of the Titans<\/a>, by Timothy Ferriss<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Happy reading!<\/p>\n

                  If you\u2019ve found this list helpful, I would love to hear about it. Tweet at me<\/a>.<\/p>\n

                  Also, I\u2019m writing a book on UX careers. If you\u2019re interested in hearing more about it, Subscribe to my mailing list<\/a>.<\/p>\n

                  This article was originally published on Simon's Medium page<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  These books have been the most impactful books in my work+life. They have helped me stay inspired, learn from the experts and motivate my best work. Use these books to examine your beliefs, attitudes, habits and skills. You\u2019ll learn how to invest in yourself, build a remarkable career and live a fulfilling creative life. If you\u2019re looking specifically for UX\/Product… Read More ￫<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":203,"featured_media":15797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n