Print Design Isn't Dead
We’ve often heard that the next generations will be the “pixel generation”, being raised on data alone, but research has proven that children are being raised and educated via screen, and also via the page. No matter what has happened to the publishing world as a whole, sales of children books have steadily raised year upon year in the digital age.
When people tell me “print is dead”, I like to remind them that even Red Bull, one of the globes most digital brands, publishes its own magazine. Even Air BnB has graced the shelves with it’s own publication.
However, even with these impressive statistics rallying behind prints cause, it has still, by no stretch of the imagination, been written off by most of the world. So the real mystery, is why won't print die? Heres why we think it’s sticking around for the long game.
Saturation
Almost no-one stands out for any length of time in the digital sphere. Trends come, trends go, viral content wipes the slate clean with each iteration. Its incredibly challenging for any brand to remain on the crest of the wave, and competition is so fierce that any brand that does find themselves in that hallowed spot for an evening is only slightly ahead of the competition. This innovation is quickly picked up by competitors, and we go on looking for the next “digital high”.
We Live in an Age of Throw Away Content
Digital media passes into our lives, and straight back out again with the click of a mouse. Print tends to stick around just a little bit longer. Most content, both online and in print, will delve into a subject that most people won't care about, but has a distinct audience. Online, this content is breezed over by the vast majority of people asking by it without a second thought, that audience may never return to the content or the website it was present on. However in print, people are used to having to flick to the next page to find the content they are looking for, and dropping in to new subjects along the way.
Print Transcends the Need to Target
Online, all content is based on being immediately relative to the viewer, or its glazed over and passed up. The way that people browse print is different, all you need is a variety of content, and a place to navigate it from. People go into print prepared to browse, and this allows for a broader range of topics, of which only one needs to catch the readers attention. Not everyone who subscribes to Cereal is interested in fashion, but some are, and that's enough.
Print is Present
Print is here, existing with us in the physical space, and if you put it down, it remains in that place, vying for your attention. If you venture away from a website, its gone and you may never think about it again.
Print is No Longer the Norm
Print is no longer the norm, its re-surged as the “avant-guard” and stick out in our modern spaces. Office spaces used to full of shelves to hold dictionaries, company policy binders, legal documents, tax folders and records. Mountains of paper work used to be on show, and it all used to have to be interacted with in order to process jobs etc.
Nowadays, offices are far more naked, with clean white Ikea tables topped only with Mac’s and PC’s creating a space in which print pieces are highly visible and sociable. They become memorable and shareable objects, providing people with connections and real value, the things that digital content are constantly striving for.
In our opinion, print isn’t a gimmick in the digital world, its a strategic step against the flow of regular content that eaves you standing out from the crowd. With a jaw dropping cover, compelling and broad content, and beautiful visuals, a piece of print can reach further than your most innovative digital piece of media.
It bears remembering that print requires commitment, craft and time to create something that resonates with readers in a broad spectrum, and provide an experience worth turning the page for.
