More information: http://readme.phenji.com/

1. ReadMe: Research Summary
by Natt Phenjati | 7/5/2013
Master in Interaction Design
Project Leader: Claudio Moderini
Advisors: Gianluigi Ricuperati,
Rodrigo Torres, Riccardo Mantelli

2. Fact
Research Summary
“We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting.”
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
Americans who own eBook readers
4% 19%
2010
2012
Growth of Amazon book sale in 2011
70%
5%
Digital
Print
Fact: eBook is growing
libraries.pewinternet.org gigaom.com

3. Research
Research Summary
http://readme.phenji.com http://bit.ly/13ZduNg
Sources: Articles, Books, Researches, Interviews, Personal experiences
Research: Digital Reading Experience

4. Observation
Research Summary
Observations:
1. Forgotten eBooks
2. Digital Distraction
3. Social Reading
4. Expired Cover
workingworld.com

5. Observation
Research Summary
The era of e-readers has had one major effect: she has
accumulated many more books that she categorizes
as “DNFs” — Did Not Finish.
Erin Faulk, “Finding Your Book Interrupted [...]”
We’re losing the biggest prompt to reading: the book.
Elizabeth King, “Three Points on Reading”
1. Forgotten eBooks

6. It requires less mental energy to click and rekindle our attention than
to try to resist distractions ... and thus continue reading.
Terje Hillesund “Digital reading spaces [...]”
Observation
Research Summary
I worry about it. My students do read online, but it is very fragmented.
My high school teacher in America
2. Digital Distraction
workingworld.com

7. Observation
Research Summary
Previously, reading was an act of solitude by design... This is no longer true.
Craig Mod, “How To Fix Today’s Ebook Readers”
3. Social Reading

8. Observation
Research Summary
This is the way most of us see covers now: as blurred little icons
... and no use for their intended purpose.
James Bridle, “On covers”
4. Expired Cover
The cover is no longer this thing that sits on its own, but it’s
competing with other metadata.
Craig Mod, “Has Kindle Killed the Book Cover?”

9. Opportunity
Research Summary
Opportunity:
What if reading experience is ...
... Both physical and digital
... Quantifiable and connected
What if book cover can tell more
Observations:
1. Forgotten eBooks
2. Digital Distraction
3. Social Reading
4. Expired Cover
Problems

10. Opportunity
Research Summary
What if reading experience is both physical and digital ?
Proverbial Wallets
by MIT Media Lab
Little Printer
by Berg
Bookcubes
by James Bridle

11. Opportunity
Research Summary
What if reading experience is both quantifiable and connected ?
yesyesno.com
Nike+ YouVersion

12. Opportunity
Research Summary
What if book cover can tell more ?
Bookr
from School of Visual Arts
Colour Signatures
by Jaz Parkinson

13. Design Objective
Research Summary
Design Objective:
To design a physical presence of digital reading experience
Problem Setting:
Without physical reminder of books, we easily forget about them
Critical Note:
How to use metadata to give readers more than just a reminder