Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Re: The Future of Publications Design



Whether or not to buy a tablet or stick with a bound book was really a struggle for me, and I feel like if you are truly a book lover, an avid reader, etc, then this is a perfectly normal struggle. You spend a lifetime walking back an forth through the isles of a library, touching every book, becoming distracted at the insane amount of titles and subjects, and you struggle with which one to choose, and you know that each book has the possibility to unlock something different for you.

Excuse me. I just had a nerdy book moment.

When I got older, and started commuting to work, I would carry 1 to 3 books in my ugly bag just in case I got bored of finished on the metro. Even when e-readers and tablets came out, I I was very resistant. I cried "NEVER!" when someone asked me if I would make the switch. Why would I want to get rid of my books and switch? That is insane.

Until my fiance bought me a kindle for a long trip to Italy. Then I realized it rocked my world because it was convenient. I had most titles I ever wanted at my fingertips and it almost made my desire to get lost in a story even stronger, and certainly easier. I did give away some books, but I will always keep my favorites in their physical form. They are a form of ritual for me. I think its the same way about newspapers and some magazines. Nothing can replace the ritual of newspaper at breakfast when you are home, or the lovely feeling of slick magazine pages. If you are truly a reader, then this will always be your preference. But what is great about the new technology is that it can spread that feeling to people who may not have been "readers" before, and in that way, its even more wonderful.

I think that perhaps it will change to all digital, but probably no time soon. I think that the love for the physical form of publication is still to strong for people to do away with it in its entirety and the technology is also not available to everyone. I also think that people see what happened with things like records, etc, and they don't want the same fate for print publication.

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