Some things have happened. A lot that I’m actually not pleased with (for now). I started going into the direction of this whole print vs. digital. I met with Amy on Friday and our meeting helped.
Because of Interaction Design and what I’ve been doing for that class, I’ve been using my roommate’s iPad a lot. So I showed him what I was working on and he actually had no idea that this kind of interactivity existed for publications. He just thought that they were exact replicas of the printed version.
But, after finding that out and watching him use it, he said he’s more interested with the interactive parts rather than the story itself.
As I mentioned in my previous post, publishers need to do something innovative to capture the attention of customers.
Which brings me to my next point; are people overlooking what these magazines can offer? (another brief topic Amy and I discussed). There are so many different sites out there that are trying to get this going yet it doesn’t seem to be taking off.
Here is a link that says 23% of tablet users prefer the digital version over print. This from May of 2013!!! Why is this not higher? Newsweek saw a drop in subscribers from 1.5 million down to 470,000 after they decided to go completely digitally. Tablet use is definitely growing but not the love for digital magazines. To top it off, 3/4 of tablet users DO NOT prefer digital magazines to their print counterparts. As the article mentions at the end, nobody is really talking about this.
Ironically enough, “the real game-changing technology for subscription magazines has been browser-based editions — that is, digital replicas that can be read on any computer”. Perhaps because pretty much everyone has a computer? Easier to access?
There has to be a way to market this better to people. Another thing Amy and I discussed was that need and satisfaction to touch the content. Not the feeling of the paper in your hand but rather manipulating the content that you’re presented with. Quite simply, why is this not catching on to people? Am I attracted to it because I am a designer? Is it something as simple as that? Or is it because the awareness for this sort of thing not good enough? Maybe people feel that they have to buy an iPad to use something like this to enjoy it. Maybe that’s what turns them off?
Here is another article that talks about the rise of digital magazines. Apparently, digital publications make up less than 2% of digital publications. They predict a significant rise to happen in the next five years; I disagree.
This then goes on to talk about the qualities of a successful digital edition. It needs to be “a different product created for the digital platform”. Not just a replica (third time this is being said). This actually goes into talking about the different platforms available to users (Smart TVs, Tablets, PCs, etc.) and how the content needs to be different with those. I disagree with that. If it’s anything people will buy it’ll be a tablet. It’s the easiest for people to figure out how to use.
Definitely more to come (and organize through!!).
Something that stays with me when thinking about this is when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone. He says the finger is the best pointing device in the world. That’s a huge thing that should help make these digital publications flourish. No more using a stylus to interact with content. Kinda random, but something that is staying with me!
FORGOT ANOTHER LINK:
http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/magazines-are-hopes-for-tablets-overdone/