Soo non-linear to the point that I had to take roughly 10,000 breaks during it. Point proven, Shelly Jackson.
But on the real, this was a joy to read. Obviously the term “hypertext” has strong connotations in our current new media dialogue. During one of my many breaks, I had to do research into Jackson to make sure she wasn’t actually talking about the modern internet.
The book that this chapter took place in was published in 2004, so maybe! What can we learn from this then? Clearly, internet design has to be non-linear. You can’t expect somebody to log into a website and look at it in the order from which you uploaded it. You have to be flexible. Unlike books. You have to be able to “fit your entire self into” the area of a website.
That comment really kind of blew my mind. I haven’t ever though of a website like an actual space. But when we examine media, we really have to take into account how the physical body reacts to it. The best books will let you leave your body, leaving you only vaguely noticing the fact that you’re sitting on your couch or sprawled out on your bed. But a terrifically designed website with full interactivity? You can get sucked into that completely to the point where your body doesn’t exist. You are one with the interface.
So where does that leave us with design? Clearly, all good design in the internet age has to aim for that goal. Sitting at a computer is such an unnatural thing. There are like, 5,000 buttons and like 7.2 billion things you could be doing with that interface. What makes your website so special that I’m going to sit here and not leave? That is what we have to aim for. And classy, usable design is the cornerstone to that.
So while I may of clicked away from this reading a lot, and I mean A LOT, the text kept bringing me back. Not because I HAD to read it for this class, but because I wanted to know what turn the writing was taking next. I want my design to be like that. Twisted, but ultimately captivating. In the long run, does it matter if somebody does something in the mean time of interacting with your site, as long as they keep coming back for more?