The Manual #1 is the tip of the iceberg, underneath is the curated talent of six contributors. As a designer, this should be required reading. Period. Is this a good way to start the post?

Three beautiful, illustrated hardbound books a year, each holding six articles and six personal lessons that use the maturing of the discipline of web design as a starting point for deeper explorations of our work and who we are as designers.

One short and powerful article “The Space Between You & Me” has sold me on the unique vision of The Manual. Giving a tangible look at distance in relationship to humanity and the space with which we interact, Frank Chimero’s perspective is brilliant. Here are a few excerpts:

The connections we make in the course of a life—maybe that’s what heaven is, Tom. We make so many connections here on earth. Look at us—I’ve just me you, but I’m investing in who you are and who you will be, and I can’t help it. -Fred Rodgers (Mr. Rodgers)

Tom Junod, “Can You Say… Hero?” (Esquire, November, 1998)

When we think of ourselves, we picture our complex inner monologues: we believe that we are not simple but rather complex, romantic, self-contradicting—beautiful messes. …

… Technology runs counter to personhood; technology is complicated and shallow, but people are simple and deep. Our true needs are not complex. I remember asking Brandon what everyone needed. His answer was profound and human: “To be understood.” …

… See, I’ve just met you, but I am invested in who you are. We are a part of a human network. Maybe that’s heaven. Frank Chimero “The Space Between You & Me” (The Manual #1, 2011)

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