Digital Vs. Print

One site I go to frequently is Engadget. I consider it a digital magazine because of the content it offers. Engadget is full of technology stories, podcasts, reviews, an online store and galleries. Instead of flipping through pages, you are just scrolling on down with the bulk of the content on the left side, and ads on the right side. Content wise, it feels and looks like a magazine with text and pictures.

A publication that is on paper and is digitized both contain similar content, but delivery is where it is different. With print, there is more opportunity to showcase photography and creativity using imaging and color. On the web, the text is mostly black on white, with pictures floating around it. Design wise, a lot of web publications have a "blog feel" to them. You see the headline, followed by an introductory paragraph, and then you choose if you want to continue reading or just skip it. It's a cookie-cutter mold for each story thereafter.

In print, the story is there. It's hitting you in the face. Once you turn the page, chances are you'll bypass the entire story and head into the next one. But it's limited. Once all pages are occupied, there is no more room to accommodate breaking news or updated information on a story. It must wait until the next publication. With web magazines, it is very easy to update a story or add a new one on the fly. Space isn't an issue.

But again, that's where creativity plays a key role. Given set parameters, constructing a solid piece of work within the constraints of a page could be a challenge, but the presentation could be amazing. It's almost like each page is its own web page. In the end, I don't mind the simplicity of the layout of most online publications, but I really do feel that more creativity goes into print because each page is unique in design.