Jeff Kirsch

"Bookish" is a concept for the Amazon Kindle ecosystem, the final output of a year-long exploration of the relationship avid readers have with physical books - and how the relationship with books could be strengthened, rather than weakened, in a digital context.

Bookish helps avid readers consider their reading in the larger context of their lives, and to capture a personal history of reading experiences that is both accessible and evocative. It encourages readers to reflect on a moment of insight connected to their reading - and by pairing that reflection with an image and sound recorded at the time and place where an insight occurs, Bookish creates a visible history of life with books.

A response to the realization that e-books don't acquire meaning for their readers in the same way physical volumes do, Bookish goes beyond replicating the trappings of physical books, instead taking advantage of the unique possibilities that arise from reading on a connected, sensor-driven tablet device. It envisions a new way to relate to the reading we do and the experiences we have with the books that live with us.

Additional Information

Visit project site
View full process documentation or jump to final outputs
Watch thesis presentation