Amy’s top 5 resources for interaction design and UX info
So many people have asked me how to make the transition from visual designer to interaction designer. Starting as a visual designer gives these people a step up that I never had, but making the leap from flat to transactional design can be a challenge for some. For these people, I start them with my top 5 resources for interaction design/ux tips, tools, and trends:
Userfocus, the creators of the ubiquitous 247 Web Guidelines has tons of resources to help with the business of designing web sites, from the latest usability standards to a detailed explanation of why accessibility matters.
A favorite in the web designer/developer community, web design tools list keeps abreast of the latest tools and tips. Their rundown of the best designs on the web is kept fresh, and they are great at finding great resources for fonts and code tidbits. Keep on the look out for this blog.
The Information Architecture Institute is a community resource for UX professionals. It has an active job board, discussion lists, and a mentoring program, but to me the best resource on the site, by far, is their library. It has links to tons of online resources, and some of the best design blogs out there.
This one certainly doesn’t even need mention, but useit.com is the place to start if you’re looking for the basics of user experience methods. I don’t always agree with Jakob Nielsen, but he’s been the go to guru for so long in this industry, that he should never be left out of anyone’s top 5. His site isn’t pretty, but as we IA types know, that doesn’t matter 
Jared Spool is a local UX celebrity. His insights about methods, style, and focus inspire user interface designers of all types. And if they don’t, they should. His company, User Interface Engineering and his blog, Brainsparks, are great reads. I always look to Jared Spool when thinking about methods for defining user flow and sketching.
There are many that deserve mention (I’m looking at you Smashing and Mashable) that don’t focus entirely on UI, but are great resources nonetheless, but if I had mentioned them, it wouldn’t be a top 5 list, would it?