Studio Brief 02 - Feedback

Problem

On screen magazines try too hard to replicate the reading experience of the physical copy. This results in an unengaging and static user experience that doe not make reading editorial content on screen a positive or enjoyable experience. 

Solution

Based on the research done on people's on screen reading habits, creating an app or website to try and improve the on screen reading experience would be fruitless and will never be the same as having the actual magazine. Therefore an idea (Idea #1) would be to create digital 'previews' of magazines that selectively showcase articles of the magazine whilst taking advantage of the on screen platform. Another idea (Idea #2) would be to create digital content that sits alongside the printed content, as seen on The Gourmand. But unlike The Gourmand's existing site, the content will have more interactive and engaging elements that keeps the readers on screen.  

Feedback

Firstly it was surprising to see that no one picked up the example magazine the solution was going to be based on to flick through when it was offered for feedback. This would have given them more of an idea of what the solution is trying to achieve but nevertheless the questions did produce constructive feedback that aligns with the background research. 

Due to how straining reading on screen can be, people are more willing to have the preview give them smaller, more concise pieces of information that summarises the article without giving much away. Retaining a level of curiosity will definitely persuade potential buyers to get the actual magazine. These comments highlights the reading habits of on screen users and agrees with the research done on why having the entire magazine online does not work. A visual approach also needs to be considered. There were also numerous comments on how the 'preview' should be a visual experience, which is a very important feature that will help keep users viewing the preview and to give them a better understanding of the content. 

It was interesting to note how most people view and buy their magazines in store rather than online. Rather than seeing this as a negative, this definitely can be opportunity to give these magazines digital exposure. Not everyone has access to a magazine shop that sells the magazines they want, however what most people have is access to the internet that can help them decide. Furthermore going to see magazines in store could be the reason why these magazine 'previews' should be better. Subscribers or potential readers might be forced to go down to their local shop in order to get a better look at the magazine. The 'preview' however is not meant to eliminate the need to buy magazines in store. The 'preview' should act as a way to build excitement and promote the content of the magazine to encourage physical sales. Personally, I would rather head down to the store to purchase the magazine after looking online rather than wait on shipping times. 

It is good to know that people see this feature as beneficial rather than unnecessary. It highlights how this is a real problem amongst magazine readers and that this solution will help give them a better idea of what they're buying into. 

The type of animations used in the 'preview' could also be a way to reflect the magazine's tone of voice. More funky animations will be more appropriate to magazines catered towards a younger audience for example Anorak and more restrained animations could be used for magazines like Baseline. 

Surprisingly VR was suggested as a possible route this idea could incorporate. Take for example Vogue magazine covering the latest Fashion week, VR users then have the chance to be able to 'sit inside' the runway show rather than waiting for the editorial to inform them. Although this idea seems to be too far detached from what editorials are about, it is an idea that is worth considering, especially with the growing advancements of VR. 

It was also benificial to see the brief from another perspective. In almost all of the comments, physical magazines are preferred over digital. However there are limitations with the printed copy that wasn't initially considered. Most notably is the advantage of sharing on a digital platform. Sharing an article from a printed magazine is troublesome where as just sharing a link takes seconds. The ability to share these articles will also build exposure for the magazine. Not only that but with a magazine, the reader is limited to the content it has. Having interactive links and sharing them will only lead to users reading endlessly and going on tangents, which is a good thing. 

From these suggestions, it is clear that idea #1 is the better approach to this problem. Improving online editorial content will only improve it. Having these 'previews' is a new an exciting way to display editorial content that doesn't rely on the negative perceptions of on screen reading. 

As a whole, people agreed that online magazines are ineffective in providing a engaging and stimulating reading experience. A more visual and interactive approach should be taken to create a new unique experience instead of trying to replicate the physical reading experience.