When comparing The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems vs Digital Design Essentials, the Slant community recommends The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems for most people. In the question“What are the best books to read on user experience and design?” The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems is ranked 7th while Digital Design Essentials is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems is:
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).
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
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).
Pro Great as a reference
This book works as a great reference for explaining design decisions to clients or coworkers, as both explanations and examples are provided.
Pro Each topic includes a case study
Multiple case studies (over 100) are provided throughout the book to demonstrate the theory discussed.
Cons
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.
Con Basic overview of web design
This book is most beneficial for beginners just starting out with web design and UX as it's not a resource with much depth. Someone with an understanding of design essentials may find this book fairly repetitive and common sense.