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Universal Principles of Design

100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

A cross-disciplinary reference of how good design works.

by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler

Universal Principles of Design is an illustrated reference covering concepts drawn from across design, psychology, and engineering, with each principle explained on a two-page spread. Topics range from the rule of thirds and Fitts's law to mental models and the von Restorff effect. It is meant as a dip-in reference rather than a linear read.

Founders making design and product decisions benefit from a shared vocabulary of proven principles instead of reinventing them. The encyclopedic format lets a small team quickly look up the right concept for a specific problem.

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