Foer’s Interactive Book Challenges Traditional Form
Jonathan Safran Foer’s “interactive book” Tree of Codes is proof that even in our age of digital trending, traditional user experiences can be altered when you continue to challenge the form. Foer’s book is an innovative “adaptation” of Bruno Schulz’s The Street of Crocodiles, in which an entirely new work is formed from physically altering an original work.
A classic case of McLuhan’s “the medium is the message,” the essence of Foer’s book (and what sets it apart), is the way it is experienced. In an ever-evolving digital environment, this type of approach is all the more possible and oftentimes expected. It goes without saying that the fluid form of digital/interactive mediums lends itself to manipulation and development more easily than an actual printed page.
Every printer (except one, obviously) told Foer “the book you want to make just cannot be made.” It’s not that it was “unmakeable” — something like it just hadn’t been created before. It’s a question of willingness, not possibility. It’s about finding a new solution rather than focusing on the potential problems. Foer, a talented author in his own right, didn’t succumb to convention — he created what he wanted by finding a way to make it happen.
An important effect of any media is that it ultimately defines how we think about things. No matter what form a message takes, we should try to dictate the user experience to enhance the content, not detract from it.
