Later this month GNOME 3.14 will be released to the masses, bringing a raft of improvements, new features, design and technologies with it.

Ahead of the slick promotional videos, screenshot tours, reviews and feature run downs that greet every new release comes this sprightly “behind the scenes” video from GNOME designer Jakub Steiner.

Steiner says the short promo “…shows what goes into a release that probably isn’t immediately obvious (and a large portion of it doesn’t even make it in).”

Why is this important? Because, for most, little thought is spent quantifying the human effort that makes each release what it is. “Development period” sounds abstract or aloof; it’s something that goes on ‘over there, out of sight’. Software is digital, and digital is machine.

In highlighting the human touch that crafts the pixels we interact with on screen deepens our connection to software. Features, themes, code changes, whether loved or critiqued, are all made by someone who has chosen to spend long hours living in the glow of an LCD screen.

Enough waffle, hit play on the video below to see what’s behind what’s upcoming in GNOME 3.14 and beyond.