Rethinking Text: Unleashing the Full Potential of Media to Provide a Better Reading Experience

Abstract

The way we store, distribute and access textural information has undergone a dramatic change starting by the introduction of movable type around the 1450s. The way, however, we present and perceive written information has not changed much since then. But why is that? Technology has been a key driver in what is now called digital media. It provides a broad variety of possibilities to present written information. Until today, these possibilities stay nearly untouched and current textural representation is taken for granted and unalterable. In this article, the authors argue that, for real progress and innovation, people have to rethink text and to accept textual representations in digital media as an independent and alterable media. The authors summarize different approaches to augment text to foster the discussion and drive further developments.