How many times have you heard readers say they prefer to devour proper print magazines and paperback books rather than engage with content using a digital device?
Well, the real-life reading experience could soon become widespread in the digital sphere.
Advancements in web technology over the last few years are gathering pace. The ways we can interact with brands and one another are creating new and exciting experiences.
Ideas that were projected in science-fiction since the 60’s and 70’s are now becoming a reality and as we tilt on the brink of a revolution in web technology, user-experiences promise to get even better.
A recent development we find interesting is flipbooks. Although the technology has been knocking around for nigh on a decade, attempts to utilise the software in a business setting failed.
Thanks to HTML5, previous issues have largely been resolved. Now publishers have the tools to create online magazines, catalogues, brochures and many other document types that are possible offline.
The graphics and animations provided by flipbook technology are stunning and allow online marketers to replicate print publications digitally. Glamour magazines and glossy brochures are even more eye-popping on high-definition screens than they are on page.
The benefits flipbooks offer publishers indicate the web could experience a revolution in the way we access content and interact with the websites. The technology is already there.
Interactive web content
The emergence of flipbooks provides readers with a platform that allows them to interact with the page. The days of scrolling may become a thing of the past as swiping takes us back to the traditional style of reading.
Flipbooks look and feel like print magazines. By swiping or clicking in the corner, the page turns over just like traditional print publications you hold in your hand. Audio effects even sound like the turning of a page.
Now that augmented reality is likely to be a real possibility in the next few years, internet users will have real-world experiences online. And flipbook technology has the potential for readers to rediscover the experience of reading a ‘proper’ book.
Furthermore, motion technology already exists in computer games and TV’s. Readers won’t even have to touch the screen to turn the page. 3D imaging, software that has taken huge leaps in recent years will provide the visuals that round off a truly immersive experience.
The package of 3D imaging, motion gesture and augmented reality provides a formidable weapon for web designers to launch on the internet. For the time being flipbooks make it conceivable for the technology to impact on the way we access content.
But there is also the potential for web developers to adopt existing technologies in web designs which would dramatically change the way in which we interact with websites. Such as the interactive creatures on the website we created for Bush Grub.
Take every memory or dream you have about technology in science-fiction and imagine how that could become a reality. The prospects are mesmerising and exciting.
It’s fair to say that some of the ideas are a long way off becoming a reality just yet. But for book lovers, the real-world experience in a digital space is already happening.
