Here's my first post there:
Once upon a time, books were often illustrated with watercolors, or colored pencil. Because of this, many illustrations were soft and detailed. As photos and brighter colors became easier to produce, new styles of illustration developed.
Right now, ereaders are either back-lit or black-and-white, and many illustrations are produced unthinkingly by copying the print version. Some publishers, however - especially publishers of kids' books - have started to design animated, interactive illustrations for back-lit ereaders. I doubt people will pay much attention to the static black-and-white pictures with these around, but there's a third option coming. For now, the complaint is that the color's too faint, and perhaps it really won't be released until the color's as bright as a computer screen. But I think that would be a shame. I'd like to see what artists and designers would come up with for pastel colors on a small screen. It could be an opportunity to be innovative, rather than trying and failing to recreate the illustrations we've been used to in print.
But design is just the obvious adjustment to make in a new form. Content is changing in more ways than that. Length is much more flexible. Editability, for better or for worse, has increased. Even basic grammar's been affected, whether it's just using the electronic format to back up an old rule, writing an addendum to a rule specifically to deal with electronic formats, or straight-out changing the rule because of electronic publishing.
How else might content change?
Right now, ereaders are either back-lit or black-and-white, and many illustrations are produced unthinkingly by copying the print version. Some publishers, however - especially publishers of kids' books - have started to design animated, interactive illustrations for back-lit ereaders. I doubt people will pay much attention to the static black-and-white pictures with these around, but there's a third option coming. For now, the complaint is that the color's too faint, and perhaps it really won't be released until the color's as bright as a computer screen. But I think that would be a shame. I'd like to see what artists and designers would come up with for pastel colors on a small screen. It could be an opportunity to be innovative, rather than trying and failing to recreate the illustrations we've been used to in print.
But design is just the obvious adjustment to make in a new form. Content is changing in more ways than that. Length is much more flexible. Editability, for better or for worse, has increased. Even basic grammar's been affected, whether it's just using the electronic format to back up an old rule, writing an addendum to a rule specifically to deal with electronic formats, or straight-out changing the rule because of electronic publishing.
How else might content change?
Interesting topic! food for thought
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