Convergence of magazines and digital

Media companies are building digital magazine prototypes. They intend to make prototypes that will work on a variety of platforms so that they can sell their products on different devices of different sizes from a variety of suppliers. The media companies want to sell their products on smart phones, tablet PCs as well as netbooks, all of them will be as interesting platforms for digital magazines as the much hyped e-readers.

Vision (1): to re-create the visual experience of a high-end glossy lifestyle magazine. In a world dominated by real time chatter, a firehose of information overload, trashy celeb gossip, and fast sloppy news reporting there is a growing market for the opposite niche. There are plenty of people who still enjoy a calm, minimalistic aesthetic experience. A well crafted story, superb command of the written language, reflection, interesting facts, compelling arguments and beautiful photos. We aren't keeping old formats, we are keeping and enhancing experiences. That's not the same thing. The whole point of the prototype is to show how new formats can capture the essence of magazines in a digital environment. We fully recognize that people show their identity in many different arenas - but this isn't trying to replace them. On the contrary, it is running parallel, and branches over when appropriate. The exact formula is yet to be developed of course, but publishing this first prototype is a part of that process.

Bonnier isn't keeping old formats, but is keeping and enhancing experiences. That's not the same thing. The whole point of the prototype is to show how new formats can capture the essence of magazines in a digital environment. Bonnier fully recognizes that people show their identity in many different arenas - but this isn't trying to replace them. On the contrary, it is running parallel, and branches over when appropriate. The exact formula is yet to be developed of course, but publishing this first prototype is a part of that process.

Vision (2): A new kind of media-format where words, images, sound, and possibly video and other output sources work together to tell a story or provide information, rather than being necessarily separate objects embedded next to each other.

The finite nature of magazines: In a magazine, the limit in size and pre-determined format force authors to focus and concentrate. This is good for both quality and creativity, just look at the strict rules in classical poetry or the 140 character limit in Twitter. If the Mag+ is designed with stunning colors and excellent readability it will imbue the magazines you read with a sense of quality and importance that is lost on the web where everything is one click away. The sense of completion is key to getting closer to a magazine experience. People like finishing things.

Will the digital magazine on the tablet be monthly, daily or real time? What does the reader get for his money? This is not an easy question, because you might take a lot of fun away in waiting for the next issue!

This conceptual video is a corporate collaborative research project initiated by Bonnier R&D into the experience of reading magazines on handheld digital devices. It illustrates one possible vision for digital magazines in the near future. The concept aims to capture the essence of magazine reading, which people have been enjoying for decades: an engaging and unique reading experience in which high-quality writing and stunning imagery build up immersive stories.

The concept uses the power of digital media to create a rich and meaningful experience, while maintaining the relaxed and curated features of printed magazines. It has been designed for a world in which interactivity, abundant information and unlimited options could be perceived as intrusive and overwhelming.

The purpose of publishing this concept video is first and foremost to spark a discussion around the digital reading experience in general, and digital reading platforms in particular: the magazine reading experience, digital browsing, text versus images and open versus closed digital reading experiences.

After an initial scepticism readers were happy to consume their digital content in an eMagazine, provided it was no more than a 10 minute experience. The business model is simple that of strong engagement, although advertising does not fit well with eMags - the click through rate is much less than conventional web advertising. This is because the magazine environment provides a more relaxing way of consuming a feature and whilst in this state most readers don't want to interrupt this by being sent to a company's website (away from the page). After trying all the page turning platforms, findings are that the slide/scroll method is by far the most natural to use. No gimmicks, just the easiest possible method to read an article and engage with the multimedia on the page.

Advertising in digital magazines: Ads in digital magazines could be very immersive. Readers value ads in printed magazines much higher than on web sites (less interruptive and a more important part of the magazine content).

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

This collaboration between The Wonderfactory and Time, Inc. is an excellent example of how tablets will enable the creation of innovative, addictive experiences.



It is not only a promo video. The prototype already works. Watch this demo of Time Inc's digital magazine concept for tablet computers showing an issue of Sports Illustrated .



According to the Sun, the Sports Illustrated format on a multi-touch-screen tablet is a valuable addition, but no substitute for the magazine Sports Illustrated. Magazines and newspapers have been the world's best handheld for many, many years. Top news, sports, photos, gossip and games in an easy-to-share format. No waiting for pages to load, no losing reception.