Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects

Conceptual products & alternate narratives of gadget culture

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   The Design of Future Things▲60

   A revealing examination of smart technology

   2015 · jnd.org · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Design for Hackers▲78

   Visual design, deconstructed

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   The Second Machine Age▲66

   Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant techno

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   The Science of Habit-Forming Products▲166

   (and how to build them)

   2016 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   The Sketchbook Project▲87

   A crowd-sourced library of Sketchbooks

   2014 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Pixel Perfect Handbook▲176

   A comprehensive handbook on digital design

   2014 · ustwo.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   for / with / in▲54

   Experiments and conversations about design in the browser

   2015 · htmloutput.risd.gd · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Designing Interactions▲91

   Interviews with influential designers

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Designing for Touch▲88

   A guide for designing touch interfaces

   2015 · abookapart.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming▲69

    How can design inspire us to think about our future?

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Six Circles▲74

    An experience design framework

    2016 · userpathways.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Panda▲76

    Keeping designers inspired and informed

    2014 · usepanda.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Hardware Hacker▲63

    Adventures in Making and Breaking Hardware

    2016 · nostarch.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Building Digital Products▲57

    The Ultimate Handbook for Product Owners

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    The User Experience Team of One▲64

    A Research and Design Survival Guide

    2015 · rosenfeldmedia.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Real-Life UX Processes▲85

    Peek inside design at Slack, Autodesk, and others.

    2016 · uxpin.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Building Digital Products▲60

    The ultimate handbook for product owners

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Discussing Design▲68

    Improving communication and collaboration through critique

    2016 · oreilly.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Little Rice▲61

    Smartphones, Xiaomi, and the Chinese Dream

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Narrative▲75

    Ambient Photo Diary

    2013 · getnarrative.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    Designspiration▲135

    Discover and share design inspiration

    2014 · designspiration.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    The Design of Everyday Things▲4

    Revised and Expanded Edition

    2017 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Theory of Fun for Game Design▲67

    Thoughts on the most important element of any game's design

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Diamond Age▲81

    Confucian Law, Neo-Victorian values and nano-technology

    2015 · amazon.co.uk · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →