Frank Chimero's “The Shape of Design” Is Now an Online eBook

Frank Chimero's incredible book on design is one of the most thought provoking books I've ever read. I preordered the eBook copy after its Kickstarter campaign was over, and only wish now that I had purchased the hardback edition. Here's what I wrote about it over a year ago: if anything, that doesn't do the book justice. The Shape of Design is an eloquent treatise about what design really means, and how well designed things influence our life. It's a must-read, even if you don't consider yourself a designer.

I was reminded of how much I love the book today while reading over Shawn Blanc's new book Delight is in the Details, where he draws inspiration from Chimero's text. So, I hopped over to The Shape of Design's site again, just to take another look at it, and was surprised to see it now contains the full text of the book in an online eBook. The site's been beautifully designed to make it the perfect way to read the eBook online — much like Matthew Butterick's Practical Typography site — and if anything, you'll likely enjoy reading it more online than in a PDF.

It's incredibly generous of Frank Chimero to make his work available free online, and I can only hope that this will mean more people will read it and take its advice to heart.

Go read it at ShapeofDesignBook.com; you won't regret the time you take to read through it. It's easily worth an afternoon or three of reading and contemplation.

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