Hello Offscreen Magazine!
My hiatus over the last two months helped me take a step back and reflect on our industry.
It’s such an encouraging and exciting one to be in! Once again, my travels have led me to meet some really interesting individuals that have a lot to contribute to this maturing trade. It’s truly inspiring to know that the decisions of a few creative individuals can have a real impact on literally millions of people at the click of a button.
What seems to bother me is the personal relationship (or lack thereof) that I have with my own work. Whatever I produce on Monday, is online Tuesday, popular on Wednesday, overhauled on Thursday and by the end of the week it has completely disappeared into the vastness that is the Internet. Looking back at the past 8 years or so of my career, there are merely a handful of (still functional) remnants left of what once used to be the crown jewels of my portfolio.
As a digital designer I have a hard time producing something I can look back at and feel a sense of accomplishment. Not only because of the ephemerality of the matter, but also because we are constantly bombarded with examples of other people’s work that often seems so much better than what we just produced.
That (kinda) led me to the idea of Offscreen.
Against all odds, I’d like to venture out into the print world and produce a real, physical product. If successfully funded, it will explore the human stories that hide inside apps, websites and other digital products. It’s a tribute to the art and craft of developing interfaces.
I want to take the time for in-depth interviews and behind the scene photography. It should be something people buy and collect because it gives them a real, physical experience. Touch it, open it, smell the ink, feel the texture. It’s the kind of experience I’m currently missing from my own work.
In spite of what people say about print, there is still a place for high-quality niche magazines. Sure, it might fail (I’ll find out soon enough) and I’m sure a lot of most people would question the need for a physical magazine, especially considering the very fact that its content is all about the triumph of digital.
However, by putting these stories on real paper, they will exist beyond next week. They might be read in 5 years or 25 years, when few remember iPhone apps or this blog post. Someone might find a lost copy on a bus or stumble across it at a friend’s home office. It’s material evidence of an intangible world. If nothing else, it will give us as creators and innovators the longevity and appreciation I believe we deserve.
If you like my idea, please support Offscreen and pre-order your copy through Kickstarter.
