Alternative Inspiration: interactivity beyond the web
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I have a confession to make: I love web design minutiae. My Netvibes is full to the brim with feeds subscribing to every aspect of the ever-growing series of tubes, from upcoming document types undergoing constant revision to the latest means of thwarting Internet Explorer’s troubling box model. One of my favorite elements of this industry is the continuous sea of progress, but I can only enjoy it having reached a very important realization.
The average user really doesn’t care. The user cares about two things primarily, and it’s these two questions that the devoted web designer must concern themselves with over every step of the process:
- Does it work?
- Does it affect its intended audience?
We are accustomed to the concept of web design as a sandbox, a singular craft operating under an exclusive set of rules, flaws and conventions. These elements are extremely important and not to be marginalized, but otherwise passionate designers run the risk of drowning in them at the expense of the user experience. For this reason (and possibly those of sanity), I find that looking beyond the internet for interactive inspiration can be a rewarding experience.
I’m a big fan of rock and roll. While I love the concept of digital distribution, I still buy CDs for the permanence and the frequency range. Its no secret that the quality of album art has been in decline since vinyl fell from the mainstream, but recently there has been a concentrated effort to deliver something special to the common consumer. Though this packaging generally involves little more than paper, cardboard and/or a jewel case, it is still unquestionably interactive.
Paul McCartney’s new album “Memory Almost Full” was released this week, and while I have yet to listen to the record I can attest that the deluxe edition’s packaging is superb. Encased in a cardboard, digipak-style case roughly the size of a typical DVD case, the box opens up through a series of simple flaps moving in opposite directions. Though the construction is as straightforward as you can get, the experience is satisfying; pink, serif words on subtly-textured black reveal themselves only when the flaps are overlapped, dissipating to reveal the next word in the title until the album itself is presented to you. Though the process is simple and linear, it succeeds as a very basic example of interactive animation with nothing but folded cardboard.
“Friend and Foe” is the Portland-based group Menomena’s latest record, and it’s a beauty. Illustrated by Eisner-award-winning cartoonist Craig Thompson (also Portland-based), the album features an intricate, interweaving series of cartoons on a die-cut booklet. The compact disc within contains a series of various eyes and images, allowing you to turn the disc in it’s case to alter the cover art as it shows through the die-cut spaces. The fun is multiplied when you take into account that the booklet folds out for four possible scenes. I love the music, but I was happy I bought the album from the moment I took the shrinkwrap off. The passion and dedication for the construction exudes from every inch of the art, making it easily one of the most creative, well-executed CD packages I’ve ever seen.
Another obvious example would be the “do-it-yourself” packaging for Beck’s “The Information,” but after Wired has devoted a cover to something I consider it standard interactive design canon. Album artwork is just one of a myriad of art, design and entertainment niches that serves to remind me that computer-based aesthetics are not an island, but affect and are affected by traditional aesthetics to the point where such labels are rendered ineffectual. It’s also great to dance to.