E Book and Usability; Multi-modality

The design world of traditionally knowing the rules for designing a book or hardcopy is coming to a shift. This shift is caused by technological advancement and we now see hardcopy books turning into E-books that can be read from tablet PCs such as the Ipad. Under this new mode of reading, the design rules undertakes a new set of knowledge to a few elements such as the way readers navigate.

Tablet PCs has some advantage like:

• Scrolling up and down with more than 1 page at any single time
• Icons inside are clear and specific
• Various font sizes
• Able to drag and drop bookmarks
• Enables spelling help by highlighting the selected word

The most popular Tablet PC in the world, I pad 2

Walsh (2006) mentioned that although the texts are similar in meaning, the multimodality of it makes ‘affordance’ and ‘processing’ different. “In multimodal texts, compared with print-based texts, the reader will use various senses (sight, hearing, tactile, kinaesthetic) to respond to other modes”, as quoted by Walsh (2006). Users of the Ipad may process the information in a different way like hearing sounds or videos attached with an E-book, and they may get a deeper insight to the meaning of the text rather than just flipping through the pages.

(photo source: http://www.sitetrail.com/2011/05/21/consumers-buy-more-e-books-than-printed-versions/)

The traditional framing, composition and how users navigate a text will now see a change with the use of E-books. How usable are tablet PCs are not a question of doubt anymore because technological advancement has helped us increase usability such as buying books, storing, and carrying them around. Today, we can buy a book without going to a bookstore physically, and we can store and carry them inside the memory card of the tablet PCs.

An Application on Iphone to purchase books online

There will be gains and losses in every change of modes such as changing from print to tablet PCs. Bezemer & Kress (2005) quotes that “’Characters’ which ‘exist’ in the mode of writing in the novel-as-book, can now appear in the mode of image, with all the potentials and constraints.” What may be lost here is the imaginative side of humans where we are forced to use our creativity to read a book.

Changing and transduscing modes are unavoidable as technology progress. Though I like the idea of convenient reading, I still prefer the feel of printed books where it is easier to flip through pages to search for information. Using tablet PCs causes eye fatigue and is hard to browse around. However I do like what technology has offered us with its functionality. I believe printed books will still be around for a long time to come.

(photo source: http://www.power-english.net/english-learning/improve-reading-and-vocabulary.html)

Reference

UPA n.d., The usability of E-Book technology, viewed 10^th June 2011, <http://www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/upa_voice/volumes/5/issue_1/ebooks.htm>

Walsh, M 2006, ‘The ‘Textual Shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual, and multimodal texts’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, No.1, pp. 24-37.

Bezemer, J & Kress, G 2005, ‘Gains and Losses: A social semiotic account of changes in the modes and media of learning resources’, Institute of Education, Centre for Multimodal Research, London.