CHArt 2005
THEORY AND PRACTICE
Conference Abstracts
CHArt Twenty-First Annual Conference
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CHArt 2005 THEORY AND PRACTICE Conference Abstracts |
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Simon Downs , Loughborough University School of Art & Design.
Paper-Like Displays and Paper-Like Books.
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Historically there exists a sharp boundary, in both technological and design terms, between visual communications design for screen and print. These distinctions stem from the nature of the broadcast environment and the subsidiary effects these means of transmission impose on us, the users. Within these distinct areas of design, there are well-established visual metaphors for organizing and presenting information in the form of books. There is also a degree of established good practice in screen design (web and multimedia). Each has its benefits, namely the portability and extreme durability for books (running into thousands of years), and interlinking and expandability for electronic design. Additionally, each has drawbacks, generally arising from technical issues inherent in the fabric of the media, such as binding technologies that constrain the form of the book and screen real estate that defines the presentation of the web page.
What if we could merge the best of these two worlds into one elegant whole? What form would the user interface take? This paper examines these questions and reaches some surprising conclusions. For instance, we could have a book with all that that entails - portability, durability, good quality typography and low cost - but with web-like features, such as search functions, networking and the ability to access other media. The technology is extant, but is it everything that the developers claim, and what should the designer's response be to such a medium? New creative insights are therefore needed before the design response is as mature as the medium.
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