OcularInvasion.com

Last Wednesday, Chip Kidd wrote an article in which he claims that e-readers, such as Amazon.com’s Kindle or Sony’s E-book, will have no impact on the design of printed books. I’d really hate to disagree with one of the greatest designers working today but, Chip Kidd is wrong. The article can be found at ABriefMessage.com, a site that hosts articles about design that are 200 words or less.
His article comes off as incredibly short sighted. Citing the Kindle’s mediocre customer reivews and the fact that Kindle currently only has one typeface, Chip Kidd claims that e-reader technology will NEVER improve. He also says “PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO READ BOOKS ON A SCREEN”. Finally, his biggest point is that books began as printed material and will always be that way.

My rebuttle:
1. Kindle’s mediocre score
At the time of this writing, Sony’s similar E-book has an average customer rating of 4.5 out of 5.
2. Kindle has only one typeface
The internet basically has four typefaces and the internet seems to be doing just fine.
3. this technology will never improve
When has a technology never improved? Companies still manage to periodically release new and improved irons (you know, those things that remove wrinkles from your clothes). And just when you think that the iPod couldn’t possibly get any better, along comes the iPod touch. There is always a way to make something better.
4. PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO READ BOOKS ON A SCREEN
If you read the comments on Chip Kidd’s article, you can see that there are people who want to read books on a screen. This article on engadget also refutes Chip Kidd’s claim; the Kindle sold out in just 5.5 hours.
5. books were born in print and will stay that way
You know what else started life as printed material? Newspapers. This article from Reflections of a Newsosaur shows that there is a downward trend in the sales of the printed newspaper. “Minus inflation, sales are about 20% lower than they were in 1997.” I think we all know what this can be contributed to: the internet, which means READING ON A SCREEN. In an effort to recover some sales, newspapers have been forced to REDESIGN as this article from the Guardian online explains.

Just as mp3 have changed the music industry and the internet has changed the news industry, I believe that the Kindle and E-book are just the first steps in changing the way books are made, designed, and read. However, the transition will be gradual and may take anywhere from 10-15 years before designers wake up and lament on how rare it is to design book covers anymore.
Do I think printed books, and the people who design them, will ever disappear completely? No. There are books like Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (And So Can You!) that just don’t work if they are not experienced in their printed form. But every James Patterson and Michael Chricton novel would lose nothing in the translation (plus both of their entire bodies of work can fit onto a machine that’s slightly bigger than one of their printed paper backs). In this month’s Wired magazine, there is an article called The Angry Mogul that’s about Doug Morris, Universal Music Group CEO, and the trouble that the music industry is having transitioning from cd to mp3. The author, Seth Mnookin, writes “Ultimately, it’s convenience and ease of use that drive new media formats.”