WEEK 1 BLOG

This weeks discussion on interactive books and media has sparked a lot of interesting thoughts for me. I believe that the future is very much in the hands of technology, whether that is a good thing or bad, I'm not sure. In a very real sense, our society is being guided by technology and much of daily life is taking place because of how we are so connected through a virtual online universe. Many can look at that as a negative way, but in truth, the progress it is allowing can't be discouraged. The way people communicate is entirely different than it used to be. The way artists create is taken to an entirely new level, and that is why interactive storytelling, such as what we have looked at thus far in this class, is a major bright spot for many reasons.

Visual storytelling is very much enhancing people's ability to take information constructively and find joy in doing so. In the past, by far the easiest way to communicate to your audience was through writing. Adding images or making audio or other visuals to accompany your writing was much more difficult than it is now. That is just the beginning, the things people are creating through the web are going to bring massive attention to the way people learn and ultimately to the way people think. A great example of a game changing learning experience is the anatomy app that we watched the preview for. There is so much possibility when you bring something so complex into a whole new light to make enjoyable and easy for just about anybody. Looking into some of the apps that were provided on the iPad, it became clear to me that there is a lot of possibility that I was not aware of prior. It blows my mind that most people switch between three apps 24/7 (Facebook, Instagram and now Snapchat) but don't ever look passed them. While it is still incorporating a way for everyone to be their own artist and entity to impress others, there is limitation on the value it can carry forward. Incomparable to the enhancement that a beautifully constructed interactive storytelling app can have on someone.

I believe that sometimes the sheer amount of content and information flying around in such a small space can be overwhelming. The less crowded apps visually are what appeal to me. The London app is a great example of an app that has great information but it conveys it in an overwhelming way. It does not have an intuitive or well constructed framework. This causes my experience with the app to be cut short because I feel that it throws too much at you all at once. If it was segmented into relevant groups of information, it would greatly increase the chances of me using the app. However, what the app offers is an extremely valuable tool for those visiting London so despite my opinion, the app has value. I look forward to seeing more and more examples of greatly useful and entertaining examples of interactive media.