Spira! aims to build upon the experience of reading a book by providing an immersive reading atmosphere. The key feature of Spira! is the uninterrupted stream of words, which the user continuously reads as they pass by. The words flow from one spiral to the other, allowing the size of each spiral to subtly indicate reading progress. The spiral interface is used throughout the Spira! feature-set, organizing libraries, friends, annotations, and bookstore. The user can navigate the spiral menus one of two ways: a touch-screen interface for intuitive interaction, or a ‘quick wheel’ for one-handed operation. Text flow speed can be adjusted by both interfaces.
To fully immerse the reader in the literary experience, an encircling OLED display gradually changes images and colors designed to match the action and mood of the story.
Readers can develop their own personal library, which they can then share with friends. Sharing is encouraged by allowing users to give friends their favorite excerpts of books they recommend. While browsing through friends’ libraries, users can also view comments, reviews, and favorite quotes from each book.
While at any bookstore browsing through ‘classic’ books tagged with RFID, users can quickly purchase books via the RFID receiver embedded in the Spria! Users can also purchase books via an online bookstore that offers text-only, animation-enhanced, and special edition books. Users can also purchase personalized backgrounds through the online bookstore.
To ease the digital transition, some features are nostalgic - the fabric grips are reminiscent of classic hard cover books, and the black and white screen is similar to text on paper.
A feasible digital reader of the future should be it’s own unique entity. This design takes the best parts about reading a book – getting lost in the story.
