Print is going the way of cassette tapes and VHS. As much as I want to trust that people still love the tangible nature of holding print in their hands, I’m also aware that the next generations may not be so keen on the idea. Innovations such as the Kindle and Esquire’s electronic paper, in combination with our growing adaptation to interactivity and handheld devices are forging the way for the distancing of print as we know it.

Starting in 1804, Bonnier is a multi-channel media company with their fingers in many different pies, such as, books, broadcasting, press entertainment and magazines. A cursory glance at their site tells me a major focus of theirs is print, seemingly producing a magazine for every industry imaginable. In the span of 205 years, I think you would learn what works and what doesn’t, moreover, how to stay relevant. Instead of winding up like the music industry, which sat on their hands while the digital revolution occurred, Bonier is working with their partner, Berg, to create a prototype electronic reader that will undoubtedly change the industry.

What’s great about this concept is that they’re not trying to digitally mimic our current interactions with print. There is more of a focus on the content in relation to how we’re already used to reading digitally. As in vertically through email and blogs and horizontally such as web page browsing. Also, the UI is inherently hidden and only activated with certain gestures so that it doesn’t take away from the content. Watch for more of this around 6:30.

It will be interesting to see how this concept gestates, but being produced by a major media company infers that there might not be as much of a challenge in getting the industry to accept it.