Hi, I'm Chay Land, founder of Chayland Design. When I began my journey in product design, the role was still new and not widely recognized. I started as a graphic designer with front-end web development skills at a branding agency that specialized in startups. With clients eager to innovate, I thought I was ready to help them build apps and web platforms—early in my career I quickly realized that designing beautiful interfaces was just one piece of the puzzle.
To make a real impact, I needed more than design skills. I had to develop strategic thinking, empathy for users, and the ability to communicate design decisions clearly—skills I learned through trial and error. Without a mentor, I navigated this evolving field on my own. I had to stay ahead of my clients' needs and deliver a product that resonated with their users. Not every startup succeeded, but those experiences taught me invaluable lessons about how to build impactful products and what it takes to find product-market fit.
Over the past decade, I’ve seen countless products succeed and fail, and mentored designers fresh out of school. One thing is clear: formal education is just the start. To excel, you must step out of your comfort zone, seek new perspectives, and keep challenging yourself. For me, books became an unexpected yet powerful ally—offering insights, clarity, and those “aha!” moments that helped me navigate the complexities of product design.
In this article, I’ll share the books that shaped my journey—the ones that turned challenges into opportunities and helped me become the Product Design ConsultantI am today. I hope they inspire and guide you on your own path as well.
14. Solving Product Design Exercises by Artiom Dashinsky
This is a must-read for anyone starting out in product design. The exercises are as close to real-world tasks as you can get. They helped me sharpen my skills, ace interviews, and prepare for the day-to-day challenges I still face as a designer. If you’re new to the field, this book will help you build a solid foundation.
13. Creative Confidence by Tom Kelley and David Kelley
This book is all about pushing past your fears and embracing your creative potential. It was eye-opening to see how much internal barriers hold us back from truly innovating. Learning how to overcome those barriers has helped me deliver more creative, impactful design solutions.
12. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
We all face procrastination, fear, and self-doubt as creators. This book helped me identify those barriers and gave me practical advice for overcoming them. It’s a must-read for any creative looking to push past resistance and keep creating.
11. The Artist’s Journey by Steven Pressfield
This is a book for creatives about finding your own voice and embracing growth. Pressfield encourages us to see creativity as a journey—embracing the ups and downs. It gave me new ways of pushing through creative blocks and continuing to evolve as a designer.
10. Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
This book is about the shift from thinking like an amateur to thinking like a professional. It challenged me to take my career seriously and commit fully to it. That mindset shift made all the difference in how I approached projects, pushing me to deliver excellence every time.
9. Deep Work by Cal Newport
Staying focused in a world full of distractions is tough, but it's crucial for doing great work. This book taught me how to create the time and space for “deep work” so I can solve design problems with clarity and produce better results.
8. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Joseph Grenny & Kerry Patterson
Good design isn’t enough by itself. To bring great ideas to life, you need to communicate them effectively, especially in high-stakes conversations. This book taught me how to navigate those challenging moments with confidence—skills that have helped me build stronger relationships with clients, stakeholders, and team members.
7. Discussing Design by Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry
Giving and receiving feedback is essential as a designer. This book helped me turn feedback sessions into moments of growth and collaboration. Instead of letting critiques become unproductive debates, I learned strategies to make them constructive and valuable for everyone involved.
6. Articulating Design Decisions by Tom Greever
This book is all about communicating the “why” behind your design choices. The outdated idea that "good art sells itself" or "build it and they will come" doesn't apply anymore—articulating your design decisions is what will take your work to the next level and ensure others are on board with your vision. One of the key takeaways is learning to do design reviews and use storytelling as a tool—it makes your rationale more compelling and relatable, which can be a true game changer.
5. UX Strategy by Jaime Levy
This book emphasizes aligning your product with both user needs and business goals. It’s not just about making a cool feature—it’s about creating something that makes sense for users and drives business success. The value innovation framework presented here helped me see opportunities others were missing and make my designs truly impactful.
4. Inspired by Marty Cagan
This book offers a behind-the-scenes look at how successful tech companies build great products. Cagan’s focus on collaboration across teams was a reminder of how crucial it is to work effectively with people beyond design—whether it’s engineering or product management. Building products that solve real problems is at the core of impactful design.
3. Sprint by Jake Knapp
This book breaks down the framework for solving big problems and prototyping solutions in just five days. The method helped me turn vague ideas into working prototypes fast and made collaboration more productive. The “how-might-we” technique, in particular, was a fantastic way to reframe challenges.
2. Creative Strategy and the Business of Design by Douglas Davis
This book taught me how to bridge the gap between creativity and business strategy. Too often, design and business are seen as separate, but connecting my work to measurable business impact has made my designs more strategic and valuable for clients.
1. Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres
Teresa Torres provides an actionable framework for keeping user research at the core of the design process. It’s not enough to involve users only at the start or end—you need to continuously engage them to stay grounded. This book helped me make user discovery an ongoing habit.
Each of these books shaped me into the designer I am today, and I hope they help you find your own "aha!" moments on your journey. Product design isn’t just about research or making things look good—it’s about communication, empathy, and having the confidence to create. Keep learning, keep challenging yourself, and happy reading!
