Before you start reading this book, make sure you have a basic understanding of how websites work. At the very least, you should be familiar with WordPress and a design program of your choice. The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is intended to expose you to basic design ideas (aesthetics), not to teach you how to build a website from the ground up (the implementation).

You'll need both of them when learning web design, but you should study them independently. The following two books will assist you with the implementation phase. This book is divided into five chapters. Each one focuses on one of the fundamental concepts of web design:

• Composition and layout
• Color
• Texture
• Typography
• Imagery

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is the perfect book for anyone who knows how to develop websites but wants to improve their visual appeal. From discovery to implementation, this book will teach you how to understand "excellent design." Create a palette, use color effectively, and establish color schemes. Use grids, the rule of thirds, and symmetry to create beautiful layouts. Textures such as lines, points, forms, volumes, and depth can be used. Use typography to make even the most mundane designs look fantastic. Effective images should be chosen, edited, and placed.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Beautiful-Web-Design-Designing/dp/0992279445

If the first book on this list taught you how to design a visually attractive website interface, this one will educate you on how to create code that will make that vision a reality. Web Design Playground is divided into four sections:

• Learn how to use HTML and CSS.
• Create a web page with graphics and styles.
• Layout of the master page (including responsive design techniques).
• Adjust color, typography, and more with sophisticated HTML and CSS.
• The fact that this book is actually interactive is maybe it's best feature.

How do top designers learn to develop stunning web pages and user interfaces? Excellent examples, skilled guidance, and enough practice! This one-of-a-kind book, written by web designer and master teacher Paul McFedries, molds and sharpens your HTML, CSS, and web page design skills. This is one of the best books on web design.

The Web Design Playground guides you through the process of writing your first line of HTML and developing engaging and appealing web pages. You'll use a bespoke online workspace to develop websites, product pages, photo galleries, and more in this project-based book. Don't worry about setting up your own servers or domain names; the book includes a free "playground" that allows you to experiment without doing so. You can focus on essential skills such as adding photos and video and page layout, as well as mastering typography, responsive design, and other online tools.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Web-Design-Playground-HTML-Interactive/dp/1617294403/

You might want to pick up learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5 next if you have a good understanding of the basic formatting and scripting languages used to create websites. Learning programming methods isn't required for designers, but it can help you construct stronger, future-proof websites for your clients.

Web designers will learn how to combine various technologies and gain crucial web programming skills, such as how to optimize websites for mobile devices. You'll put everything together at the conclusion of the book to create a fully functional social networking site that works on both desktop and mobile browsers.

Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5 would also be beneficial to web developers. Even if you're already familiar with PHP, you'll learn about topics such as:

• HTML and CSS are being upgraded to HTML5 and CSS3, respectively.
• MySQL and MySQLi are used.
• For more tailored experiences, create dynamic web pages.
• Cookie management and user privacy.
• Using jQuery libraries to improve JavaScript.
• Websites are being converted into progressive web apps.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-PHP-MySQL-JavaScript-Javascript/dp/1491978910/

Learning how to construct progressive web apps (PWAs) is the next obvious step for those of you who aim to build websites with a high volume of mobile visitors.

PWAs - one of the best books on web design, connect the worlds of mobile websites and mobile apps. While PWAs can be accessed through the browser and are searchable on the internet, they are more akin to applications and can take advantage of telephony capabilities (such as push notifications and geotargeting) in the same way as apps can. Not only that, but they're usually faster than websites and may be accessed by visitors even if their internet connection is patchy or non-existent.

Web developers and business executives will discover how—and why—to create web apps that take use of capabilities that have previously only been available in native apps. Fast load times, push alerts, offline access, home screen shortcuts, and a totally app-like experience are just a few of the features. Progressive web apps take advantage of the latest browser APIs to provide all of the benefits of native apps while avoiding the drawbacks. Author Tal Ater demonstrates how to transform a simple website for the fictional Gotham Imperial Hotel into a modern progressive web app throughout the book.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Progressive-Web-Apps-Bringing/dp/1491961651/

There's a distinction to be made between a web designer and a user experience designer. This book isn't going to teach you how to become the latter. However, UX Design 2020 will teach all designers about user experience (UX) and why it should be a key consideration when creating a website.

UX Design 2020's not just about usability when it comes to designing a website for a user experience. It's also about creating more functional websites that improve the lives of users and consumers easily and better. No matter how hard the subject matter is, you'll find this to be a simple read from beginning to end. If you want to specialize in UX design, there's a chapter at the end dedicated to it. This book, on the other hand, shines as a primer on user experience design ideas that anybody can use on their websites.

Graphic designer - Lwist had this to say about the book: "Overall, this is a fantastic and motivating UX book that covers all you need to know." It's also easy to read and free of errors. As a designer, I enjoyed the book's expansion of UX ideas to everyday life, as well as the extensive discussions of data gathering methods, which can be a challenge in the design process. Without a doubt, I'd recommend it!

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/UX-Design-2020-Beginners-Experience/dp/B08BWFL1TR/

A user experience UX strategy necessitates a delicate balance between business strategy and UX design, but there hasn't been an easy-to-implement framework for doing so until now. This practical guide presents simple strategy tools and tactics to assist you and your team in developing unique multi-device products that people want to use.

One of the best books on web design, this book offers easy to advanced tactics that you can utilize in your business immediately, whether you're an entrepreneur, UX/UI designer, product manager, or part of an intrapreneurial team. You'll get multiple viewpoints on the subject through interviews with renowned strategists, as well as business cases, historical context, and real-world examples.

UX strategy is the next step after you've learned the basics of UX design. You'll organize the fundamental UX design ideas you've studied into a plan and methodology. This book is for you if you're thinking about becoming a UX designer or simply want to improve your current research and strategy approach. Rather, work on it one chapter at a time. This will allow you to devote the time and attention necessary to developing your own strategic processes.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/UX-Strategy-Innovative-Digital-Products/dp/1449372864/

Color studies may appear to be a minor aspect of a website, but the color choices you make can have a huge impact.

You'll learn all about color theory and how to apply it to create amazing and effective websites with this well-written and beautiful book on color studies. Color Theory, the Physiology and Psychology of Color Perception, and the Physics of Color, 3rd Edition, Color studies introduces students from all visual arts concentrations to color theory, the physiology and psychology of color perception, and the physics of color. This book delves into the four aspects of color - hue, value, intensity, and temperature - and offers advice on how to apply what you've learned in a range of fields, including painting and other fine arts; interior design; architecture; fashion design; textile design; and graphic design.

Feisner and Reed discuss green materials as the underlying component of colorants, dyes, and inks in textiles, printing, and paintings, and are brought up-to-date by Feisner and Reed. Illuminating with color (LED), color tools and management (Pantone), as well as color consultancy and marketing, are all covered in a new chapter on color and digital technology. This lavishly illustrated book blends classic and modern ideas and examples in many areas of fine art and design, taking a multidisciplinary approach.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Studies-Edith-Anderson-Feisner/dp/1609015312/

Another "minor" aspect with enormous implications for your website is typography. Better Web Typography for a Better Web makes no difference to how much experience you have with website font selection. Every web designer and developer should read this book. Whether you've dismissed typography as a frill or found it too tough to contemplate in the past, this is one of the best web design books to persuade you otherwise.

"Extremely thorough and, more importantly, fuel for any debate with clients to persuade them that the fonts you selected were the best for the project," said Paul Jarvis. Better Web Typography for a Better Web is a book based on a highly regarded online course that explains typography to web designers and engineers. Matej Latin, the author, breaks down complex ideas like vertical rhythm, modular scale, and page composition into simple terms. The book's content is complemented by live code examples, and readers are encouraged to design and build an example website as they progress through the book. The rules haven't changed much in this new typography guide for a new medium, but everything else has. This is one of the best books on web design.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Better-Web-Typography/dp/1999809521/

Steal Like an Artist is a motivating guide to creativity in the digital era that offers ten revolutionary concepts to help readers explore their artistic side and live a more creative life.

Nothing is unique, so embrace it, educate yourself through others' work, remix and reinvent to find your own route. Follow your passions wherever they lead you—what appears to be a pastime could become your life's work. Forget the old adage about writing what you know; instead, write the book or produce the film that you want to see. Finally, stay smart, stay out of debt, and risk boring yourself in the real world so that you can be wild and bold in your imagination and work.

Steal Like an Artist is one of the oldest web design books on the list, but the lessons on creativity are just as essential and relevant today as they were when it was first published in 2012. While there is a lot to read, the information is well-presented in the form of quotations, tales, and memes. So, if you're looking for motivational messages and visuals, this is one of the best web design books to go through.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Steal-Like-Artist-Things-Creative/dp/0761169253/

Austin Kleon's previous books, both New York Times bestsellers, Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work!, gave readers the keys to unlocking their creativity and showing them how to become known. Now, in his most inspiring work yet, he presents ten easy guidelines for staying creative, focused, and loyal to yourself—for the rest of your life.

The creative life is a circle, not a straight path to a destination. Therefore, establish a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters. Disconnect from the outside world. Sometimes all you really need to do is put your phone on airplane mode. Keep Going encourages viewers to get out and walk.

Pay attention to what you're paying attention to, and especially what you're paying attention to. Spend less time worrying about getting things done and more time worrying about the value of what you're doing. Rather than concentrating on leaving your mark, try to leave things in a better state than you found them. One of the best books on web design, Keep Going, with its ageless, practical, and ethical concepts, is for anyone who wants to live a fulfilling and productive life.

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Going-Ways-Creative-Times/dp/1523506644/