The trend toward e-publishingAMSU, Maastricht (EJC), 27 July 2007

Jan Bierhoff

European Centre for Digital Communication

overview of this presentation

• (e) publishing trends• e-publishing technology - e-Ink• the DigiNews project• the Me-Paper project• and you?

publishing trends

• shrinking– circulation > demographics, lifestyles– scope > special interest– authority > dont speak, point!

e-publishing trends

• broadening– assembling > professional sense making– structuring > linking the pro’s and am’s– platforming > facilitator for communities

> embedded publishing

publishing formats

• downsizing– broadsheet > home reading– tabloid > mobile reading– daily magazine > hybrid paper

e-Publishing formats

e-publishing formats

• upscaling– cellphone > ongoing services– PDA > field trials– e-reader (A5) / flexreader (A4) > tests

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/timesreader.html

e-Ink technology

• Readability– In bright light– No flickering– Paper

resemblance

• Mobile– Low power

consumption– Thin– Light weight

electronic paper

the e-reader iLiad

e-Paper project De TijdLessons learned

• design– not just put the newspaper on the e-reader

• testing

- use a mature product• opportunities seen by users

– on holiday, while on the road– download several newspapers– put maps on it

DigiNews Project

• project partnersSeveral Swedish newspapers, KTH, HH, other European newspapers, research institutes and Philips

• general objectiveSuggest a solution that includes all parts needed to produce, distribute and consume digital news

• three prototypes36 participants, evaluation of task oriented navigation

Prototype AftonbladedNavigation• Frontpage

(no further links)• Table of contents

(no further links)• Article selection• Arrows

Prototype Göteborgs-PostenNavigation• Frontpage

(articles)• Index

(start of section)• Navigation menu

Prototype Sundsvall TidningNavigation• Hyperlinks (right)• Page indication• Frontpage

(articles)• Index

(articles)• Arrows

DigiNews projectLessons learned

• overview of front-page is important• not only use paper metaphor• overview at front-page and index are

appreciated• use the same sections as in paper version• direct links to articles• feedback is important

Me-Paper project• project partners

– five Dutch newspapers (local-regional-national)– two research institutes: (Dutch) EC/DC and (Flemish) IBBT

• general objective– setting up a development lab for the design of journalistic

formats– the establishment of a living lab for parallel continuous user

testing

• technology– Ultra Mobile PCs– e-Ink mounted readers (iLiad)

Palm tablet / UMPC

Me-Paper actions

• focus:

development of journalistic formats• content• design• functionality

http://roularta.publitas.nl/knack/juli07/magazine.php

Me-Paper actions

• process• brainstorms: news provision in 2012• concepts: priorities, choices, sketches• paper prototypes / low fidelity

• user evaluation

• prototypes / high fidelity

(both iLiad and UMPC)• user evaluation

• new services participating papers