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Another Way to Sell Print - i[enter here]

There are essentially two primary uses for the iOS for those involved in graphic arts. One is functional and easy to use, whereas the second is under developed and requires imagination.

The first use, as a device to consume media, is highly pragmatic. Both iPhones and iPads are perfect for quickly finding information because they are compact, instant-on, and wireless.

The second use, as a mobile e-commerce platform, could be highly profitable. A thoughtful app for iOS could send a stream of pictures, blogs, postcards, memory books, transcripts, forms, and more print ready material to your print shop.

The trouble, of course, is that developing an app or coming up with an e-commerce strategy is like producing a movie. Both require a storyboard with a beginning, middle, and an end (plus a healthy dose of IT). Are you going to put on your director's hat?

The audience, if you were curious, will continue to grow according to these plans.


Shoutback: How do you think the App Stores will play a role in print media?

photo credit: Apple Computer, Inc.

Click Happy

Other than being anecdotal, common sense, and sometimes thought provoking information, there may be a simpler reason why Seth Godin has a fan base. Seth caters to our Internet fueled, attention span disorder. Most of his posts can be read in under 30 seconds which matches perfectly with a 2008 study of web page behavior by ClickTale. The study found that most web surfers spend between 19 and 27 seconds on average per page. That's worth repeating out load — only 19–27 seconds per visit!

The implications of our limited attention spans are huge. Our lack of attentiveness could explain why long form blog posts get shunned, why cluttered websites get abandoned, why your web-to-print storefront is missing the mark and sales, etc. Considering you have up to 30 seconds to grab attention, KISS design with a clear call to action is paramount.

(web page heat map - shows user activity)

photo credit: @labnol

Do you have Ping Ponged attention?

A pendulous streak of white mesmerizes those watching. Your head is in a constant left-to-right, up-and-down motion as you follow the action. The excitement is heightened by otherworldly, yet fluid, body movements that would make a contortionist cringe. No, you are not watching a Hollywood blockbuster or the latest action packed game. You are watching table tennis, also known by the more cutesy ring of ping pong.

While ping pong players and the game played are highly entertaining to watch, a far more popular sport is giving us the same whiplashed excitement — the sport of information surfing on the Internet. Our distracted behavior plays out in two significant ways.

First, the constant pings from e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and the like, put us into a heightened awareness that prohibits "deep thought." You have probably noticed this in your day-to-day activities. After the chime of an arriving e-mail or a flashy pop-up announcing a Tweet, your attention is temporarily interrupted and requires far more time to refocus than the initial interruption stole.

Second, we are skimming electronic information at a frenetic pace. Unlike a printed page which is read in sequential left-to-right (for most) pattern, we tend to quickly scan on-screen content in an effort to quickly get the highlights. At this fast pace, our minds struggle to commit the information from "working memory" into a lasting thought.

If we're unable to attend to the information in our working memory, the information lasts only as long as the neurons that hold it maintain their electric charge-a few seconds at best. Then it's gone, leaving little or no trace in the mind. - Nicholas Carr, The Shallows

In our quest to gather more information, is the Internet making us dumber? In what cases could you offer print as a curator and filter, for deeper thought?

photo credit: Paleontour