Digital Awareness

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We are not strangers to the page. We use it constantly each and every day. From when we colored in our favorite coloring book when we were very young to writing our autobiography later in life. For many, the page is their muse, a way to express themselves in tanglible form. Because of this, we have developed many uses for the page and with it many forms of emotional attachment. The trick from moving from page to screen is to understand the differences between the two and realize that each comes with its own unique set of attriubtes.

The Page

  • Portability
    Portability Example
    Folded Paper: Oragami     Paper is extremely light weight and portable and comes in many different colors and materials. You can take it anywhere, fold it, and transform it into a seemingly limitless array of shapes. However, paper does not scale in that while 10 pages are easily transportable, 1000 pages is not.

  • Tangibility
    Paper is tangible. You can feel it's weight and texture. Because of this quality, paper often carries with it a sense of uniqueness and character.

  • Emotional Response
    Emotional Example
    Reading by the Fire     Because of the properties of paper, we are able to put ink to its surface. This allows paper to serve as a conduit for our thoughts and emotions. As a result, many people have a favorite book or letter that evokes deep emotion. It is not uncommon for a person to express that they are going to spend the evening curled up next to the fire with a good book.

The Screen

  • Portability
    Portability Example
    Portable: Tablet Display     Screen technology has come a long way in recent years. Gone are the bulky CRT displays that weigh over 50 pounds. The new generation of screen can be as light as a few pounds and almost as portable as the page. However, digital files scale immensely well since the files are all displayed using the same monitor. However, the fact remains that screens are still much larger than a typical page and therefore do not lend themselves to quite the same uses as the page. Though this is quickly changing.

  • Lighting
    Screens are lit to increase readibility and usability. No longer does the user have to find a light source to view the material. This opens up new areas where the user can read your work.

  • Durability
    Screens are traditionally made of glass or some hard compund. Therefore, they tend not to be extremely durable. Therefore, their use can be limited. This is the area where the screen differs most from the page.