ELC3 Review: The Readers Project

The reading experience can be adjusted. The Readers 2016, an application created by John Cayley and Daniel Howe as part of The Readers Project, is a work that is intended to be experienced digitally. It contains elements of customization and automation that cannot be replicated in traditional mediums like print.

The Readers 2016, which depends on algorithms and uses Java files to run, can be accessed on a variety of different operating systems. There are executables that can be downloaded on Windows, MAC, and Linux. Once opened, readers have a set of options to click through on the bottom right to cater their experience to their own taste. Adjusting features like the speed of the “reader,” the direction by which text spawns, and the opacity of the text are all options that only exist virtually. On paper, there is no option for text to move or pages to flip without the reader physically moving them themselves.

Print books are more manual and static than their digital counterparts. As a result of creating a work that is intended to exist solely in a digital format, the creators of the work were not limited by the confines of what can be done on paper. They relinquished control of the presentation of their work and shared tools with the reader to customize and view the project by whatever means suits them best.

Customizable Elements

To check out The Readers Project yourself, click here

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