The Elements of Typographic Style vs The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems
When comparing The Elements of Typographic Style vs The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems, the Slant community recommends The Elements of Typographic Style for most people. In the question“What are the best books to read on user experience and design?” The Elements of Typographic Style is ranked 4th while The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose The Elements of Typographic Style is:
The book is designed to cover all aspects of typography which makes it a good intro book for readers who are new to the subject.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Provides a comprehensive overview
The book is designed to cover all aspects of typography which makes it a good intro book for readers who are new to the subject.
Pro Covers the history of typography
Throughout the book, typographic practices are explained along with their historical significance. Many terms and practices in typography are steeped in history, and learning it helps understand both the rationale, and significance of their adoption, and as a result, what role they play in modern typography.
Pro Looks at the psychology behind interaction design
The author takes an in depth look at "cognitive engineering" and applying it to software design (ex. How users form habits when interacting with software).
Cons
Con Poorly formatted book
The writing style of this book can make it difficult to read. Long walls of text, references to terms that are never defined, and a lack of captions. There is a lack of visual examples, and the small font makes it easy for a reader to lose their place.
Con The point is not often clear
The Human Interface can be a confusing read for a variety of reasons.
The author is frequently referencing one of his projects, Canon Cat, even when there is no beneficial/relevant reason to do so.
There are some contradictions throughout the book, and plenty of negativity towards the studies he mentions (however, he does not often use studies to back up his own claims).
The book does not have illustrations or screenshots, making it difficult to follow at times.