March 9 2010
March 9 2010
As we wait with baited breath for the iPad’s release on April 3, it’s easy for us to think that the shake up in the publishing industry is only being led by e-book readers. However, there are a multitude of other new ideas, mechanisms and projects all driven by new technology that are challenging the traditional rules and business models of publishing and print. These new technologies are liberating people to become their own publishers, printers and distributors. Here are some of them:
The Espresso book machine
This machine (seen above) created by On Demand Books can print and bind a paperback book in about three minutes. It is also about the size of a small wardrobe, which enables it to be housed in a host of bookstores and libraries around the world, adding a little bit of theater to your book browsing. Amazon is said to utilize print on demand machines in their distribution (though they won’t reveal to what extent), and Google has partnered with On Demand Books to allow over 400,000 titles to be printed when needed in stores.
Lulu, CreateSpace and Blurb
A host of self-publishing websites with easy to use software, quick delivery and cost effective solutions enable not just novelists but photographers, designers and artists to print their book of choice with high quality standards. Users have different sizes, paper stocks and cover solutions to choose from. The software can also integrate with existing publishing programs like Adobe Indesign. The sites also allow users to publish and sell their books on the sites.
Magcloud and The newspaper club
Perhaps more niche. These two sites enable users to publish their own magazines and newspapers. Magcloud is a project from HP labs that enables people to create their own magazines and distribute them via its website to a wide audience. It costs about $.20 a page and has had success in producing and selling several thousand magazines since it launch a year ago.
The Newspaper Club is a tool to help people make their own newspapers using online content. It allows users to tag online content, collect and curate the stuff they want and turn it into a really good-looking printed product. Funded by 4IP, the investment arm of Britain’s Channel 4, the site is currently a beta version, but it will launch officially in summer 2010. They have already produced some newspapers for the BBC and Wired. Long live newsprint!
January 19 2010
UK based design firm Spin recently asked major figures in design what are the top books every designer should read. 50 designers
old and new from Wolfgang Weingart to Peter Saville made a contribution outlining the books that had the most influence on them. The result is a broadsheet format listing of an eclectic 500 books from Cat In the Hat by Dr Zeus to Typographica. The paper is available for $5 which is a small price to pay for such a comprehensive list of information. A must for any practicing or aspiring designer.
January 13 2010
Fearful cries about the ‘death-of-print’ have been all the rage this year. 2009 saw many magazine closures and newspapers worried about the shift to digital. This shock to the industry has caused print-based companies to quickly innovate, often relying on their old friend: The Designer.
In a TED talk (below), Polish designer Jacek Utko explains his dramatic redesign for several Eastern European newspapers. The result? Readership went up by as much as 100%.
Though the following project didn’t see the light of day, Information Architects explain their thoughtful concept to revolutionize newspaper design. How? By taking all the learning from websites and translating it back to print.
*Note the blue highlighted keywords that allow you to read the entire front page in just 20 seconds.
