When Interaction Comes to Print
Vootie (1485 pencils) | Mon, 2012-09-24 13:04Print publishing is far from dead but there's little doubt that the digital flow of information poses a relentless threat to something as quaint as ink on paper. But what if those static pages could serve as a frictionless gateway to additional digital content — wouldn't that provide the best of both worlds? Startup firm Layar is betting the proverbial farm that that's indeed the case and recently introduced its rather ingenious Layer Creator.
In essence, it works by allowing designers to drag and drop interactive buttons into position on JPGs or PDFs. When a reader of the printed magazine then scans pages using the Layar app, interactive options are displayed that when clicked do such things as play videos. The clips below talk more about the process and show usage by the Dutch magazine LINDA. Harbinger of the future? Or destined for the footnotes of publishing history? Only time will tell.
Commenting on this Blog entry will be automatically closed on November 19, 2012.
wow thats exceptionally dumb. kind of like riding a bike in the back of a moving truck.
How does one know that these easter eggs are hidden on pages? Do they expect people reading print to sit there with a smart-phone magnifying glass searching for something that may or may not be there? I may as well be making a pretty-penny working forensics instead.
EDIT: Can I just elaborate my preference that QR codes themselves are about as useful as pooping from an elbow? The problem with interacting with print is there is no way to make it quality-based instead of a gimmick. That's why few people scan QR codes right now: it's because they can't, don't know what a QR code is, or what they'll get from scanning them isn't worth the effort.
Print will always be seen as a disposable or trade-able media from this decade on. It usually costs under $20, contains nothing significant to the average consumer and doesn't do anything additionally after its use. People who appreciate or practice in some form of art are an exception to this stereotype I feel. Some will save magazines based on design/ experience or articles for inspiration or reference.
YoungZM, these interactive points are apparently displayed on the page.
childish, clumsy.
yes I'm brazilian xD
Why does this remind me of people who pay 100s of dollars to go to a sporting event or concert and then spend the entire time filming the show with their phones?