Transforming books and the reading experience through interactive technologies

For thousands of years people have been reading words etched in stone, written in ink, or printed on paper. However, recent technological changes are creating a revolution in reading, and the development of interactive computer interfaces has enabled the creation of dynamic reading experiences. At a time when computers were too large to move from desktops, Alan Kay imagined the DynaBook [4], a portable computer and reading device that could be used by children to enhance their education, which was seen as visionary. With roots in the Memex of Vannevar Bush [1], Ted Nelson’s vision of Hypertext [2], and Englebart’s NLS system [3] early computers from the 1970s and ’80s explored new ways of viewing and manipulating text. Thirty years later, and the recent development of smart phones, handheld tablets and ubiquitous networking has enabled Kay’s vision to become a reality. Today a person can have access to an entire library in the palm of their hand, and easily search through huge collections of information. The latest generation of interactive technologies such as Augmented Reality [5], multi-touch interactive tables [6], and tangible user interfaces [7] can transform the reading experience even further. However, there is a lot of research that needs to be conducted to see how these types of emerging technologies can potentially improve the reading experience. In this special issue, we have brought together four papers that represent the latest advances in interactive reading technologies. In the first of these, Girard et al. [8] describe how e-reading could be improved by understanding the experience of people who are attached to their e-readers. This builds on a recent trend in human computer interaction to explore how people become emotionally attached to their devices [9]. Girard conducts interviews with nine people who report high levels of emotional attachment to their e-readers. Based on the analysis of the interviews they provide some interesting design guidelines come to light that could be used to significantly improve the e-reader experience. For example, enabling users to be able to configure and change the display settings of the e-reader according to their own preferences, and in doing so giving them a feeling of control over the device. Ribeiro et al. [10] describe how smart environments can be designed for storytelling geared towards children. Many previous researchers have focused on enhancing the electronic book, but in contrast Ribeiro explores how the reading environment itself could be improved. Using the Design Based Research approach [11] they conducted focus groups with teachers from a local primary school to come up with some prototype interface ideas. One of these is the “Reader’s Theatre” which allows children to act out stories in front of their classmates with multisensory feedback. The design method successfully enabled the exploration of design space dimensions with a human centred approach using input from teachers and children. Smart environment technology was used to create the prototype story-telling environment that promotes the reader’s engagement, involvement, enjoyment and social interaction. Interaction Design and Architecture(s) Journal IxD&A, N.32, 2017, pp. 71-73