Best Industrial AND Product Design Books of 2026

Return to Pretty by Caitlin Wilson is a beautiful and inspiring book that offers readers an insight into the designer's process and ideas on how to create a home that is beautiful, comfortable, and classic. Wilson's focus on warmth, floral prints, and old-fashioned elegance is a refreshing take on traditional style, and her emphasis on fashion and family makes her approach to creating pretty spaces effortless and refined. The book is filled with stunning photographs, pastel color palettes, and easy-to-follow design tips that will inspire readers to create a style that is both beautiful and sophisticated. Overall, Return to Pretty is a must-read for anyone who loves home decor and traditional style with a modern twist.

The Design of Everyday Things is a guide to human-centered design that emphasizes the importance of usability over aesthetics. The book argues that product design often ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology, leading to frustrating experiences. However, good design is possible, and the book presents simple rules to guide designers in creating products that guide users effortlessly to the right action at the right time. This revised and expanded edition includes new examples and ideas about design and product development, making it a powerful primer for designers and an essential read for anyone interested in the field.

Open Circuits is a fascinating photographic exploration of the inner workings of everyday electronics. The book showcases the intricate design and unexpected beauty of over 130 electronic components, from resistors to USB cables, through vividly detailed cross-section photography. The book not only offers stunning imagery but also provides accessible explanations of how these components work and were made. Whether you are an electrical engineer, a tinkerer, or simply a lover of art and photography, Open Circuits has something for everyone. This book is an excellent addition to any industrial or product design book collection.

This book, "Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value," offers a structured and sustainable approach to continuous discovery, helping product teams infuse their daily product decisions with customer input. Author Teresa Torres teaches readers how to balance action with doubt so they can get started without being blindsided by what they don't get right. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to discover products that customers love, while also delivering business results.

Design Thinking and Innovation Metrics is a practical guide for managing and measuring innovation. Author Michael Lewrick offers a straightforward playbook for utilizing design thinking to achieve success and create impact. The book covers a range of topics, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, and neurodesign, as well as Objectives and Key Results for innovation teams. This book is an excellent addition to any manager, executive, or entrepreneur's library and provides valuable insights into the world of innovation accounting.

Indistractable by Nir Eyal is a personal transformation self-help book that provides a four-step model to help readers overcome distractions and accomplish their goals. The author explains why simply avoiding technology is not a practical solution to the problem and how to make the best use of it without letting it get in the way of our personal and professional lives. The book has been highly praised by readers and experts alike, including James Clear and Jonathan Haidt. Overall, Indistractable is an insightful and practical guide that can help anyone struggling with distractions to take control of their attention and choose their life.

Articulating Design Decisions by Tom Greever is a practical guide that focuses on principles, tactics, and actionable methods for presenting designs to stakeholders, clients, and other non-designers. The book teaches how to empathize with stakeholder perspectives, cultivate listening skills, express effective feedback, create the right documentation, and follow through on decisions. The real-life examples and stories make it engaging and applicable. This book is a must-read for anyone involved in design, from engineers to executives, and it will change the way designers talk about design.

How to Draw is a must-have book for artists, architects, and designers who want to improve their drawing skills. The book covers everything from basic perspective drawing skills to complex forms, and it also demonstrates the research and design processes that are used to generate visual concepts. What makes this book unique is that it includes more than 25 pages that can be scanned via a smartphone or tablet using the new Design Studio Press app, which links to video tutorials for that section of the book. Overall, this book is indispensable for anyone who wants to learn how to draw or teach others how to draw.

Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri is a must-read for anyone in product management. The book focuses on how organizations can adopt customer-centric practices to create real value instead of just shipping features. It teaches how to build a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer by communicating and collaborating effectively. The book covers product management principles that can be applied to any organization, big or small. Overall, Escaping the Build Trap is an insightful and practical guide that can help any organization avoid the trap of just building features and focus on delivering value to customers.

This two-book set, presented in a deluxe box, is a celebration of the iconic fragrance, Chanel No. 5. The books explore the evolution of the perfume's packaging, composition, manufacture, and marketing, with unprecedented access to the Chanel archives. The world's leading creatives, including Richard Avedon, Ridley Scott, and Baz Luhrmann, have lent their talents to the perfume's advertising campaigns, which feature prominently in the book. The high-end package inspired by the original perfume box makes Chanel No. 5 a must-have for lovers of luxury, fashion, and perfume.