As a book design studio we have focused on designing covers and complex layouts for print. We’re continuing to do print design. Actually, that is Ceci’s specialty. But we’re adding a new specialization: the design of mobile apps. One might even say “books as apps”, but that’s not quite right.

I’m not exactly talking e-books or even enhanced e-books (as those are variously defined). Certainly, there is a demand and need for e-books based on a reflow format (e.g., EPUB) and also for digital facsimiles of print books (e.g., PDFs). No need to debate that issue any further, though I’m not quite sure about enhanced e-books where audio or video is simply stuck inside a long-form narrative or tacked onto the end.

The work that consumes most of my time these days involves stepping back and thinking about the structure and presentation of content on smart phones and tablets without staying within the traditional concept of a book. Indeed, the book as app is not a book at all, but a variation on materials and capabilities where the end result is a compelling product that people want to buy.

Stay tuned for a lot more on this topic.