I’m expecting a flurry of new digital-only (or digital-first) magazines with the release of Adobe’s DPS Single Edition. Excitement.
Adobe’s got its haters, but there’s something to be said for a common way to consume a digital magazine. Working out how to navigate is a ball ache. And not knowing where I am within a digital magazine (and wondering if I’ve missed anything) is a major downer. Adobe’s navigation, although not perfect, is a strong base upon which a simple and universal navigation language can mature. After all, all I really want is a recognised, no-brainer way to ‘turn a page’ within a digital magazine. (Apologies for the print metaphor.)
I’m especially excited with the launch of Katachi magazine. It’s a digital-only magazine and seems to reference the basic navigation language introduced by Adobe… but isn’t built using Adobe. As a result, it isn’t limited by the constraints (so far) inherent with Adobe’s platform.
I haven’t swiped my way through Katachi yet. But it looks to offer the best of both worlds… Adobe’s basic navigation language, but with more engaging user interaction. Win, win.
More about Katachi over on SPD.
