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Website PortfolioWant to bring your web design ideas to life? These 10 must-read books will help you speak the same language as design agencies:
- What Clients Really Want – Chantell Glenville
- Communicating Design – Dan Brown
- Don’t Make Me Think – Steve Krug
- Hello Web Design – Tracy Osborn
- The Non-Designer’s Design Book – Robin Williams
- Designing Brand Identity – Alina Wheeler
- Sprint – Jake Knapp
- Laws of UX – Jon Yablonski
- Refactoring UI – Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger
- The Elements of User Experience – Jesse James Garrett
These books cover:
- Explaining website goals clearly
- Understanding the design process
- Learning key design terms and concepts
- Giving better feedback to agencies
With 75% of people judging companies by their websites, communicating your vision effectively is crucial. These books will help you work more smoothly with agencies and create a site that truly represents your brand.
1. What Clients Really Want by Chantell Glenville
“What Clients Really Want” by Chantell Glenville is a game-changer for anyone working with web design agencies. It’s not your typical design book, but it’s a secret weapon for getting your vision across.
Here’s the deal: Glenville dives deep into the client-agency relationship. She’s all about helping you speak the same language as your design team. And trust me, that’s HUGE when you’re trying to get your dream website built.
So, what’s the book got to offer? Let’s break it down:
- Crystal-clear briefs: Glenville hammers home the importance of nailing your brief. When you’re explaining what you want, be specific. Tell them your goals, who you’re targeting, and what features you’re after. It’s like giving your agency a roadmap – they’ll thank you for it.
- Peek behind the creative curtain: Ever wonder how designers think? Glenville gives you the inside scoop. This knowledge is gold when it comes to setting realistic expectations for your project.
- Feedback that doesn’t suck: We’ve all been there – trying to explain why something just doesn’t “feel right”. Glenville teaches you how to give feedback that actually helps. Focus on the facts, not just your personal taste. It’ll make your conversations with the agency way more productive.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “This isn’t a web design book!” And you’re right. But here’s the thing: it’s the perfect sidekick to all those technical design books out there. Why? Because it tackles the one thing those books often miss – how to actually work with your agency.
2. Communicating Design by Dan Brown
Dan Brown’s “Communicating Design” is a must-read for anyone working with web design agencies. It’s packed with practical tools to help you explain your vision clearly and effectively.
The book covers key elements like personas, concept models, site maps, flowcharts, and wireframes. These aren’t just fancy terms – they’re your toolkit for getting your ideas across to designers and stakeholders.
Here’s a quick rundown:
Personas: These are made-up characters that represent your target users. They help agencies understand who you’re trying to reach. For example, you might create “Sarah, a 35-year-old mom who wants quick, easy online shopping.”
Concept Models: These show how your site is structured. They’re great for explaining complex ideas, like how different parts of a news website fit together.
Site Maps and Flowcharts: Think of these as your website’s blueprint. They show how pages link up and how users will move around your site.
Wireframes: These are rough sketches of your web pages. They focus on layout and function, not visual design details.
But Brown doesn’t just teach you how to make these things. He also shows you how to present them in business meetings. This is key when you’re trying to get your ideas across to your agency team.
The book also emphasizes how to format your ideas into professional reports. This isn’t just about looking good – it’s about presenting your vision in a way that gets attention and respect.
“The book starts off by covering the fundamentals of wireframes, personas, site maps, concept models, and flowcharts. These components of the book are not only technical in a how-to format, but also practical in a business sense.” – Amazon customer review
This mix of theory and real-world application is what makes “Communicating Design” stand out. Whether you’re working on a small business website or a big web app, Brown’s advice can help you explain your needs more clearly.
Remember, good communication with your agency isn’t just about what you say – it’s about how you present your ideas. By using the tools in Brown’s book, you can become a true partner in the design process, not just a passive client.
“Communicating Design” isn’t just a book – it’s your guide to speaking the language of web design. And when you and your agency are on the same page, that’s when great things happen.
3. Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Steve Krug’s “Don’t Make Me Think” is a must-read for anyone working with web design agencies. This book breaks down web usability in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.
The main idea? Make your website so easy to use that visitors don’t have to stop and think. When talking to your agency, you can use this concept to explain what you want. For example:
“I want our menu to be crystal clear. Users should know exactly where to click without having to guess.”
Krug’s big on keeping things simple. Use this when you’re looking at design drafts:
“This homepage feels cluttered. Let’s cut out the extra stuff. We want visitors to focus on what’s important, not get distracted.”
The book also pushes for user testing. You can bring this up with your agency:
“Before we call it done, can we test this with real users? It’ll help us catch any problems early.”
Krug talks a lot about mobile design too. When discussing how your site will work on phones, you might say:
“Let’s make sure our mobile site is super easy to use. Big, touchable buttons and a simple menu are key.”
“It’s a fun and approachable guide that packs a surprising amount of wisdom into each chapter”, – Jamie Juviler, HubSpot’s Website Blog.
This quote sums it up nicely. “Don’t Make Me Think” gives you and your agency a common language to talk about design. By using Krug’s ideas, you can clearly explain what you want: a website that’s easy to use, looks great, and helps your business grow.
4. Hello Web Design by Tracy Osborn
“Hello Web Design” by Tracy Osborn is a must-read for anyone working with web design agencies. This book breaks down complex design concepts into easy-to-digest pieces, perfect for beginners.
Why does this matter when you’re working with agencies? Simple: it helps you speak their language. When you understand basic HTML, CSS, and design principles, you can explain your ideas better and make smarter choices about your website’s design.
Here’s how this book can level up your agency conversations:
Know what you’re looking at: When the agency shows you a design, you’ll get it. Instead of just saying “I don’t like it”, you can give useful feedback like, “Can we make the text stand out more from the background?”
Ask better questions: With some design know-how, you can dig deeper. You might ask, “How will this look on a phone?” or “Can we make this button pop more?”
Team up better: Understanding design basics lets you chip in during brainstorming. You could suggest, “What if we use a grid to organize our products better?”
Keep it real: Knowing what’s possible in web design helps you avoid asking for the impossible. This saves time and headaches for everyone.
Remember, you’re not trying to become a web designer. You’re just trying to bridge the gap between your ideas and the agency’s skills. When you speak the same language, you’ll work together better and get better results.
“Hello Web Design” is your first step to becoming a savvier client. It’s worth the effort – you’ll have smoother projects, better outcomes, and a website that really shows off your vision.
5. The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams
“The Non-Designer’s Design Book” by Robin Williams is a must-read for anyone working with web design agencies. It’s like a cheat sheet that helps you talk design without being a designer.
Williams breaks down design basics into easy-to-digest chunks. The book covers typography, color, and layout. But here’s the cool part – it shows you how to use these ideas when talking to agencies about your vision.
Imagine you’re working with a Chicago agency like CyberOptik on your new online store. Instead of just saying “Make it look good”, you can now say:
“Can we use contrast to make our ‘Buy Now’ buttons pop? Maybe play with colors that complement our brand?”
This kind of specific feedback can really boost your chats with designers.
The book also talks about white space – something easy to miss if you’re not a designer. You might tell your agency:
“Let’s give our product photos some room to breathe. We want the page to feel clean and easy to use.”
Williams gives you practical exercises to try out these ideas. Give them a go before your next agency meeting. You’ll be amazed at how much clearer your feedback becomes.
“This book should be required reading for anyone who needs to design for a living – and for anyone who needs to work with designers.” – David Pogue, New York Times columnist
The goal isn’t to become a design pro overnight. It’s about closing the gap between what you want and what the agency can do. By getting the basics, you can give better feedback and make smarter choices about your website’s design.
With a 4.7/5 star rating on Amazon from over 1,500 reviews, it’s clear this book hits the mark for non-designers. It costs between $15 and $30, depending on the format. That’s a small price to pay for better communication with your agency.
So, before your next sit-down with your web design team, pick up “The Non-Designer’s Design Book”. You’ll be speaking design lingo in no time, making the whole process smoother and getting you closer to the website you’ve been dreaming of.
6. Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
Alina Wheeler’s “Designing Brand Identity” is a must-read for anyone working with web design agencies. This book bridges the gap between brand identity and website design, helping you communicate your vision more effectively.
The book stresses the need for a solid brand strategy that matches your business goals. When chatting with an agency about your website, you can use this knowledge to your advantage. For example:
“Our brand is all about innovation and simplicity. How can we bake these values into the website design?”
Wheeler’s take on brand elements like logos, colors, and fonts comes in handy when looking at design proposals. You’ll be able to give more targeted feedback:
“I feel our logo isn’t popping enough. It’s a big part of our brand identity – can we make it stand out more on the homepage?”
The book also dives into how brands work across different platforms, which is key for web design. Use this to keep things consistent:
“Let’s make sure our website colors match our brand guidelines. We want our customers to feel at home whether they’re on our site or our social media.”
“This book should be required reading for anyone who needs to articulate the power and promise of design to a broad audience.” – Debbie Millman, Chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts
Wheeler includes real-world examples that you can bring up in discussions. For instance:
“I liked the Coca-Cola digital branding case study in Wheeler’s book. Could we try something similar to make sure our website really shows who we are?”
With a 4.6/5 star rating on Amazon from over 1,000 reviews, “Designing Brand Identity” is clearly a hit. Priced between $30-$50, it’s worth picking up to boost your talks with web design agencies and make sure your website truly reflects your brand.
7. Sprint by Jake Knapp
Jake Knapp’s “Sprint” is a game-changer for web design projects. It introduces a five-day process to tackle complex problems and test new ideas fast. You can use this method to supercharge your work with web design agencies.
Here’s how to apply Sprint concepts:
- Define the challenge
Start by nailing down your website’s main goal. For example: “We need to boost our e-commerce conversion rate by 20% in three months.”
- Build a diverse team
Get your agency to bring different experts to the table. You want a UX designer, developer, and copywriter all brainstorming together.
- Set a tight timeline
Suggest a condensed schedule for the initial work. Try something like: “Can we spend five focused days rapidly prototyping our homepage design?”
- Prototype and test
Push your agency to create a quick, testable version of your site. This lets you get real user feedback before going all-in on development.
The Sprint method works. Just look at Slack. They used a design sprint to overhaul their mobile app onboarding. The result? They activated 50% more new users.
“The sprint gives our startups a superpower: They can fast-forward into the future to see their finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments.” – Jake Knapp, Author of “Sprint”
When you’re talking to an agency, try this:
“I’ve been reading about the Sprint method. Could we use it to test our main website features quickly? I think it could save us time and make sure we’re on the right track.”
8. Laws of UX by Jon Yablonski
Want to speak design psychology with agencies? Jon Yablonski’s “Laws of UX” is your go-to guide. It breaks down 19 key UX laws that shape how users interact with websites. You can use these insights to explain exactly what you want to agencies.
The book’s principles help you back up design decisions with psychology, not just opinions. Instead of “I don’t like this”, you can say “The Law of Clarity suggests we should simplify this menu to make it easier for users.”
Here’s how to use these laws when talking to agencies:
Design clarity: When looking at mockups, try: “Can we focus on reducing cognitive load here? Let’s keep the homepage centered on our main services without overwhelming visitors.”
User feedback: For interaction design, say: “We need clear feedback on form submissions. This cuts down on user worry and boosts confidence in the system.”
Error prevention: When discussing forms, suggest: “Let’s stop errors before they happen. Can we show password rules as users type?”
“The laws are grounded in psychological principles, making them invaluable for understanding user behavior and decision-making in interface design.”
At $15-30, this book is a steal for upping your agency communication game. The website even offers extras like cheat sheets, perfect for quick reference during design meetings.
9. Refactoring UI by Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger
“Refactoring UI” is your go-to guide for talking design with agencies. Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger break down interface design in a way that’s easy to grasp, without drowning you in tech-speak.
Now, when you’re looking at website mockups, you can pinpoint exactly what needs work. No more vague “it looks off” comments. Instead, you might say: “Let’s tweak the visual hierarchy. What if we adjust the contrast between our main and secondary buttons? It could make the key actions pop more.”
The book’s focus on design systems is a game-changer for discussing site-wide consistency. You could tell your agency:
“We need a clear spacing system for our content. Let’s make sure the padding between elements is consistent – it’ll make everything look more polished.”
But here’s where this book really shines – it helps you catch design issues before they become headaches:
Typography: “Our headings need work. Can we set up a clear type scale? Right now, the size jump from H1 to H2 feels random.”
Color Usage: “Our CTA buttons aren’t grabbing attention. How about we use our brand colors more strategically to guide users?”
Layout Structure: “Everything feels squished. What if we add more whitespace between sections? It could make the page easier to scan.”
“The principles in this book aren’t just theory – they’re battle-tested solutions to real-world UI problems that every website faces.”
The best part? You can start using these ideas in your agency chats right away. Whether you’re building an online store or a corporate site, you’ll be able to explain exactly what you want, clearly and confidently.
10. The Elements of User Experience by Jesse James Garrett
Jesse James Garrett’s “The Elements of User Experience” is a go-to guide for explaining website needs to agencies. It breaks down user experience into five layers, making it a breeze to discuss specific parts of your website design.
Want to chat with your agency about your website vision? Use Garrett’s five planes to structure the conversation:
Strategy: Kick things off with your core business goals. Don’t just say “We need a new website.” Instead, try this: “We’re aiming to boost newsletter signups by focusing on what users want – easy navigation and clear value.”
Scope: Get down to the nitty-gritty of features. You might say:
“Let’s nail down our must-haves first. We need a blog, email signup, and product catalog – but let’s keep it tight for launch.”
Structure: Talk about how everything fits together. For example:
“Can we set up our content like a pyramid? Big stuff at the top, details below. It’s how our users think about our products.”
Skeleton: Discuss the layout. Try this:
“Let’s keep our navigation consistent everywhere. Users should always know where they are and how to get home.”
Surface: Talk visuals with confidence. You could say:
“Now that we’ve got the structure down, let’s make sure our colors and fonts support the user journey we mapped out.”
“The book has had a significant influence on the field of UX design, providing a clear and structured approach to designing user experiences.”
Published back in 2002, this book still hits the mark because it sticks to timeless principles. Jesse James Garrett, who founded Adaptive Path, gives you a solid framework for talking about website design – from big ideas to small details.
Use this book to guide your agency chats from start to finish. When you get these five planes, you can explain what you want at every stage of design. It helps keep everyone on the same page and your project on track.
How to Use These Books When Working With Agencies
Let’s talk about putting these books to work in your agency partnerships. Here’s how to make the most of them:
Initial Meetings Use “What Clients Really Want” to shape your first agency chat. Be clear about what you’re after. Instead of “We need a modern website”, try “We want to boost online sales by 25% with better user experience and clear calls-to-action.”
Design Briefs When writing your brief, take a page from Dan Brown’s “Communicating Design.” Break it down like this:
| Brief Section | Book-Based Approach |
|---|---|
| User Needs | Use Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" usability ideas |
| Visual Design | Pull from "Non-Designer's Design Book" |
| Brand Elements | Follow Wheeler's brand identity tips |
| Project Timeline | Structure it like a Sprint |
Feedback Use “Laws of UX” to give specific feedback. Don’t say “The layout’s a mess.” Instead, try “Let’s group related stuff closer together to tidy things up.”
Workshops In design workshops, use Jake Knapp’s Sprint framework. It works wonders. At CyberOptik, clients using Sprint cut homepage design time from three weeks to five days.
Design Reviews When reviewing designs, use Jesse James Garrett’s five planes from “Elements of User Experience.” Start big picture, then zoom in on details.
“The best way to get good design is to make sure that the people who are doing the design are also the people who are talking to the clients.” – Mike Monteiro
Revisions Use “Refactoring UI” to suggest specific tweaks. Don’t just say “Change it.” Point out exactly what needs fixing based on the book’s advice on visual hierarchy, spacing, and color.
Next Steps
You’ve got a stack of powerful books. Now it’s time to use them. Pick 2-3 that fit what you need right now. Just starting a project? Grab “What Clients Really Want” and “Communicating Design” to nail the basics of talking with your agency.
Here’s a simple plan based on these books:
| Project Phase | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Planning | Use Sprint to map out milestones |
| Design Brief | Apply Non-Designer's tips for clear direction |
| Development | Check Laws of UX for user-focused choices |
| Review | Use Elements of UX for structured feedback |
Keep learning as you go. When you look at designs, don’t just go with your gut. Use what you’ve read. For example, use Krug’s tips to explain why a menu needs to be simpler.
“Effective communication is the foundation of successful web design projects.” – Dan M. Brown, Author of Communicating Design
Stay up-to-date. Join design groups, read blogs, and talk to other people who work with agencies. It’ll help you speak “design” better.
Keep track of what works and what doesn’t when you talk to your agency. Which ideas from the books clicked with your team? Use this to get better over time.
The big thing? Keep talking with your agency. Tell them what you’re learning. When everyone gets design basics, projects go smoother. In fact, agencies say projects finish 40% faster when clients really get involved with design ideas.
Set up regular chats with your agency to see how you can use these ideas together. It stops mix-ups and keeps your project on track.
FAQs
What is requirement gathering for website design?
Requirement gathering is the first step in website design. It’s how agencies figure out what you want. IBM‘s 2020 website redesign shows why it matters: good requirement gathering bumped up user engagement by 25%.
Here’s what it looks like in action:
Stakeholder Interviews: You sit down with key team members to talk about goals. IBM did this big time – they chatted with over 50 people from different departments to get everyone on the same page.
User Research: This is all about understanding who’s going to use your website and what they need. You might use:
- User surveys
- Focus groups
- Usability testing
“Understanding user needs is the foundation of effective web design.” – Jesse James Garrett, Author of “The Elements of User Experience”
The books we talked about earlier, like “What Clients Really Want” and “Communicating Design”, give you some solid ways to do this. They help you turn your requirements into clear, actionable items that agencies can work with.
If you would like us to help you bring your website visions to life, then please get in touch with us today and our team will be more than happy to discuss each and every one of your needs and ideas!
