Bibliofile Project: Introduction
The concept is an online repository for notes, highlights, and any such user-generated content created in regards to reading electronic documents—-specifically eBooks. This would allow users to retain, organize, synthesize, and share the information they consume while reading eBooks.
The user group on which I am currently focusing is generally academic, although I believe such a concept could find plenty of uses beyond the academy.
The main focus of the concept is the online repository and how users will interact with information therein. Being able to “slice” and navigate information on various criteria such as date, keywords, tags, categories, author, book, and so on is the core intention of the concept. Users should be able to curate user-generated data without the source-material, although the source material should never be far away as, television news has taught us by negative example (shameless jab), context is everything. Lastly, I want to explore the idea of synthesizing clippings, so the user can make connections amidst seemingly disparate pieces of information in their personal database as well as the global database.
I want to explore the idea of synthesizing clippings, so the user can make connections amidst seemingly disparate pieces of information in their personal database as well as the global database.
It is likely that this system will in-turn affect how users interact with eReader software. So, ultimately, the concept is actually an ecosystem of user-generated data that exists and is manipulated across various devices. However, I want to ensure that the dominant use of eReader devices and software is reading. If anything note-taking is a process that could stand streamlining on current eReading devices.
Although my materials/content will remain relatively generic, the paradigm I am approaching the project from is that of Amazon’s eReader ecosystem. Currently, Amazon’s kindle website is a baby step in the direction I want to go with this project.
Last but very important, I had the very fortunate opportunity of hearing Steve Portigal present the Reading Ahead project when he visited SCAD last year. The project was executed by Steve and a group of folks at Portigal Consulting. Basically, they researched users on the topic of reading and books in regards to the eBook era. That, in and of itself is awesome, but they also did an excellent job of logging their process and findings on the Portigal blog. This post and its narrated slideshow has been particularly useful. I very much appreciate the concern with how the reading experience extends beyond actually looking at and interpreting words.
Bibliofile Project Posts
Introduction
Personas
Initial Sketching
Paper Prototyping
Tags: bibliofile, design, ebooks, interaction, introduction, reading
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IDC@spsu
