Here are some books I recommend to any and every designer. Everyone from UI/UX design, to programming, engineering, industrial design graphic design, motion graphics and everyone in between. Here are some books that have taught me to think of design in a much more abstract way, and they have helped me conceptualize ideas and concepts.
1. Form Defining Strategies: Experimental Architectural Design
Absolute must read. This book is a great insight into thinking critically about design, shape space and form. It is about about experimenting with the physicality of things and seeing how hidden properties can create impressive design, shape, space, form and line.
2.Folding Techniques for Designers: From Sheet to Form
Excellent introduction in to a much more tangible way of understanding design concepts such as: Line shape, form, space, object-hood, grey-space, disintegration. deconstructions, form building and many more elements of design.
3.Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated
Simple introduction to more complex theories behind design. Nothing over the top. It's just a good solid book that will refresh you every once in a while about some cool theories that will teach you something cool about how our world works. I recommend this book to everyone!
buy here: http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Principles-Design-Revised-Updated/dp/1592535879/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z
4.Aesthetic Theory: Essential Texts for Architecture and Design
Super easy read. This book is a really good source for learning about asthetic theory and what makes the world, in general, tick. We all make choices everyday, but little do we know why we make those choices. One of the big drivers behind the choices we make is visual input from everyday situations, from how something looks to how we perceive it. If you want to elevate your game as a designer --this book is a must!
buy here:http://www.amazon.com/Aesthetic-Theory-Essential-Architecture-Design/dp/0393733491/
I hope someone finds this list useful. Design, is much more that just rendering stuff in C4D, or making pretty images in After Effects, or building a robot that is arduino controlled, or making a really cool building --all of those things are awesome, but pointless if they have no concept behind them, and even more pointless if they are brutally inefficient and impractical. I hope these books help you further your understanding of how to build and construct things for the use and consumption of human beings.