Editions At Play was a year-long project between Google's Creative Lab, Sydney and London-based publisher Visual Editions. We collaborated with world-class authors and publishers to explore the possibilities of creating books that cannot be printed. The books are designed to deliver immersive reading experiences on a mobile device.
Editions At Play was a year-long project between Google's Creative Lab, Sydney and London-based publisher Visual Editions. We collaborated with world-class authors and publishers to explore the possibilities of creating books that cannot be printed. The books are designed to deliver immersive reading experiences on a mobile device.
The challenge
The challenge
Books have remained relatively unchanged since their invention, and people often say that physical books have qualities that do not transfer well to digital. Editions At Play asks ‘what if digital books had qualities that don’t transfer to print?’
Books have remained relatively unchanged since their invention, and people often say that physical books have qualities that do not transfer well to digital. Editions At Play asks ‘what if digital books had qualities that don’t transfer to print?’
Process & principles
Process & principles
Working closely with my design colleagues, I was involved in creating visual and interaction concepts for each of the 6 books. These concepts were presented to our authors to begin a dialogue around the experience we wanted to create for each narrative. This process led to an organic feedback loop where the narrative would inform the design and, in turn, design would inform the narrative.
Asking some of the key questions below helped us define a structure for each book:
- How will the reader move between pages?
- What gestures can the reader use?
- What is the reader’s mental model of the book?
- Does this mental model make sense to the user?
- What interaction patterns will help to enhance the narrative?
Working closely with my design colleagues, I was involved in creating visual and interaction concepts for each of the 6 books. These concepts were presented to our authors to begin a dialogue around the experience we wanted to create for each narrative. This process led to an organic feedback loop where the narrative would inform the design and, in turn, design would inform the narrative.
Asking some of the key questions below helped us define a structure for each book:
How will the reader move between pages?
What gestures can the reader use?
What is the reader’s mental model of the book?
Does this mental model make sense to the user?
What interaction patterns will help to enhance the narrative?
We created an unprintable book about the unprintable books we were creating. We called this 'The About Book'
Editions At Play guiding principles used to evaluate whether our books were unprintable.
End-to-end
End-to-end
I was also responsible for bringing the concepts to life through prototypes. Due to the experimental nature of the project, prototyping often involved the creation of high fidelity animations which was used to communicate interaction behaviour to our authors and developers.
As the concepts began to take a visual form, Nicci and I were responsible for creating an aesthetic for each book which would translate into the design of UI elements. We built click-through prototypes using static screens which were used for usability testing. I was involved in supporting and conducting guerilla usability testing for the books.
I was also responsible for bringing the concepts to life through prototypes. Due to the experimental nature of the project, prototyping often involved the creation of high fidelity animations which was used to communicate interaction behaviour to our authors and developers.
As the concepts began to take a visual form, Nicci and I were responsible for creating an aesthetic for each book which would translate into the design of UI elements. We built click-through prototypes using static screens which were used for usability testing. I was involved in supporting and conducting guerilla usability testing for the books.
Public launch
Public launch
In a year, we designed, built and released 6 books and a platform through which to sell them. The books were warmly received by the publishing industry, featured in articles including: Google Australia Blog, Fast Company, The Guardian, Vice: The Creator's Project, Vice: Motherboard, The Bookseller, Wired and Engadget.
Editions At Play has been recognised as an innovator in the future of publishing, and was awarded the George Foster Peabody award in 2017.
In a year, we designed, built and released 6 books and a platform through which to sell them. The books were warmly received by the publishing industry, featured in articles including: Google Australia Blog, Fast Company, The Guardian, Vice: The Creator's Project, Vice: Motherboard, The Bookseller, Wired and Engadget.
Editions At Play has been recognised as an innovator in the future of publishing, and was awarded the George Foster Peabody award in 2017.
