New Generation of Books and Magazines

Before 15^th century, there were only a small number of book productions and copies due to the limitation of existed technology. For centuries there are only hand written books, and also hand written copies. That was before Johann Gutenberg invented printing press. His goal was to bring books to common people. The new technology, enable anyone to produce books in a cheap and in a small amount of time, and as a result, more books distributed to more people.

Until recently, printed books have become our everyday stuff. We can buy books anytime, everywhere. The computer and internet technology, however, enable books, and also magazines to shift to another form, called electronic books and electronic magazines. And also with the inventions of small, handheld internet devices, people can bring more books and magazines everyday. Enable us bring a whole library in our pocket.

Due to the rapid development of information technology and programing, publishers want to bring another experience in reading to their readers. Readers are not just a passive end of one publication, but also able to interact with the book or magazine. In 2009, Sport Illustrated, launch their interactive e-magazine. Enable new experience of interactive magazine for the publisher, media companies, advertisers and the readers.

WIRED magazine, in collaboration with Adobe unveil a new digital magazine developed with Conde Nast in 2010. Enable readers to engage new possibilities of experience and interaction with the magazine.

In 2011, Mike Matas, an interface designer, designed a book titled Our Choice, Al Gore’s sequel to the An Inconvenient Truth. The book stuffed with a large number of interactivity. In one page for example, the reader can blow an interactive wind turbine image to describe how wind can produce electricity.

In that year we can also see Katachi Magazine, which covers design culture, launch their magazine aimed to achieve interactivity and customization not seen in a mainstream magazine. Katachi Magazine doesn’t have printed editions and only created exclusively in iPad.

So many possibilities developed with new technology. We can find a number of magazines and books developed to bring a new reader experience. The main feature is the interactivity. With more and more magazines and books shifting from print to electronic form, one anomaly found in I Like My Style Magazine. Who started only as a digital magazine now also available on printed edition. I Like My Style reversed the process most of magazines have done.

Sources:

http://elationpress.com/resources/the-history-of-letterpress-printing/

http://nextberlin.eu/2012/07/i-like-my-style-online-goes-print

http://katachimag.com/about

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/interactive-design/katachi-aims-push-bar-for-ipad-magazines-launches-new-publishing-system/?print=true