I just started reading Frank Chimero’s The Shape of Design. I wanted to wait for the physical book but my patience failed me so I accidentally started reading the eBook today.

I’m only about 20% through but I can already wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the bigger context and purpose of design. In fact, one of the core ideas that Frank wants to get across is why we should care about more than just technique:

The relationship between form and purpose”Š”…”“”…”ŠHow and Why”Š”…”“”…”Šis symbiotic. But despite this link, Why is usually neglected, because How is more easily framed. It is easier to recognize failures of technique than those of strategy or purpose, and simpler to ask “How do I paint this tree?” than to answer “Why does this painting need a tree in it?” The How question is about a task, while the Why question regards the objective of the work. If an artist or designer understands the objective, he can move in the right direction, even if there are missteps along the way. But if those objectives are left unaddressed, he may find himself chasing his own tail, even if the craft of the final work is extraordinary.

Seriously, just buy the book.