ENTRIES TAGGED "breaking the page"
iPad vs. Kindle Fire: Early impressions and a few predictions
Pete Meyers examines his iPad usage and sees how (and if) the Fire could fit in.
Few have actually held the Kindle Fire, let alone put it through its paces, so Pete Meyers chose a novel analytical approach: Examine his own iPad habits and look for spots where the Fire can find a foothold.
Pictures that propel prose
How illustrations and a clear path can enhance a story.
A clear reading path isn't always a bad thing. Here's an example where imagery advances the narrative and guides the reader along a defined trajectory.
Five digital design ideas from Windows 8
With Metro, it's clear Microsoft has put a lot of thought into touchscreen design.
Microsoft's Metro interface offers plenty for digital book designers to study. The best part? Whether or not Microsoft actually ships something that matches their demo, designers can benefit from the great thinking they've done.
Keeping images and text in sync
Two examples of how digital images and associated text can stick together.
The fluidity of digital content occasionally sends images in one direction and text in another. Here's a look at two design experiments that keep digital assets together.
Why an ebook still needs an index
An index in an ebook offers a level of discovery search can't touch.
Why should digital publishers invest in index creation? Because ebooks that give readers efficient ways to access what they need are ebooks that will sell.
To page or to scroll?
Digital book designers face a big question: Is it better to scroll or flip?
We all got comfortable scrolling through web pages a long time ago, but ereader and tablet design added a new quirk with the introduction of page flips. Here, Pete Meyers considers the applications of scrolling and flipping across reading environments.
Searching in ebooks: A unique use case that requires a unique approach
Ereader search tools need to limit disruption and incorporate web search best practices.
The current crop of ereaders handle ebook searching in a variety of ways — some are useful and creative, some aren’t. Here, Pete Meyers looks at the state of ebook search and how it can be improved.
Sometimes the questions are as enlightening as the answers
10 digital book questions worth pondering.
If you're willing to accept the ambiguity, an answer of "I don't know" can launch intriguing possibilities. Here, Peter Meyers offers 10 open-ended questions about the shift from print to screen.
A story takes shape amidst tweets and pauses
Novelist Reif Larsen takes to Twitter to tell a short story.
The novelist Reif Larsen did something on Twitter recently that showed how sometimes the best stories are those that arrive in small morsels, spaced generously.
Notes that don't break the reading flow
The flexibility of the digital page offers considerable promise for notes.
When you move away from the passage you're currently reading to consult a note you lose your connection in a very literal way. The digital canvas provided by ebooks and ereaders can change this.