Reading list

People often ask us for recommended reading lists; books and websites where they can learn about best practises in web design and development. So here are a selected few!

Web standards / books

• Learning Web Design - the latest version of a book I bought when I was starting in the industry (called Web Design in a Nutshell back then) by Jennifer Niederst Robbins. Recommended for beginners.
• A Book Apart - superb collection of short, concise books on all things web standards. For example, the Front-End Fundamentals collection covers all the essentials for HTML, CSS and JS.
• Smashing Magazine books - some great web industry books published by Smashing Magazine. Recent highlights include Inclusive Design Patterns and Real-Life Responsive Web Design
• Designing with Web Standards - The original book on web standards by Jeffery Zeldman and still an excellent introduction to the topic.

Web standards / online books

• Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with Progressive Enhancement - a good overview of progressive enhancement from Aaron Gustafson. First edition is free online, you can also pick up a copy of the latest edition.
• Atomic Design - a great resource on component based design approach that works so much better in the responsive world by Brad Frost. Available free online and as a physical book.
• Resilient web design - a fascinating read on the web, where it came from and where it's going by Jeremy Keith.
• Yale Style Guide - one of the first books I picked up and still a great study on the elements of successful web design. Available free online and as a physical book.
• Designing for the web - good introduction to web design using the principles of graphic design from Mark Boulton. Originally published in 2009 and now available for free online.

Web standards / sites

• A List Apart - the original webzine for web standards, and still a good read.
• Layout Land. Good YouTube channel on standards and CSS grid from Jen Simmons.
• Mozilla Developers. A new YouTube channel on web development from the helpful folk at Mozilla.
• Grid by Example. Example step-by-step guide to CSS grid from Rachel Andrew.
• Every Layout. A learning resource for CSS layouts.
• 24 Ways - a great advent series of articles on web design & dev.
• Smashing Magazine - they publish regular articles and some fantastic books on current web design trends.

PHP / books

• Learning PHP - A Gentle Introduction to the Web's Most Popular Language - looks like a good introduction to PHP which also covers best practices in the industry
• Modern PHP: New Features and Good Practices - great book from the inventor of the Slim Framework, Josh Lockhart, on the latest features that make up modern PHP.
• Symfony 5: The Fast Track - online book covering best practises in Symfony 5.

WordPress / books

• WordPress Development in Depth - a detailed guide to building sites in WordPress.

PHP / sites

• PHP The Right Way - an excellent summary of current best practises and tools in PHP.
• PHP Nomad - regular online talks, a great way to learn if you don't have a local PHP user group.
• PHP Cambridge - local PHP community user group run by our founder Simon R Jones. Come along to hear great speakers talk PHP!

APIs / books

• PHP Web Services: APIs for the Modern Web - excellent book by Lorna Jane Mitchell on web services and APIs, which make up the beating heart of many websites.
• Build APIs You Won't Hate - tons of practical advice from Phil Sturgeon on creating APIs that work in the real world.
• Using the WordPress REST API - recent book by experienced PHP dev Cal Evans on the WP API.

Project Management / books

• Interactive Project Management: Pixels, People, and Process - great approach to project management from Nancy Lyons and Meghan Wilker
• User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product - a good overview to defining requirements via user story mapping
• The Power of Project Leadership: 7 Keys to Help You Transform from Project Manager to Project Leader - be a leader, not just a project manager

There's a fantastic reading list over at the University of Minnesota Duluth which is also worth a look.

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