New Al Gore app spearheads the future of interactive books
Based on a fantastic user interface designed by Mike Matas, co-founder of Push Pop Press, Al Gore’s 2009 book “Our Choice” has been reinvigorated for the iPad as an app that launches today. We previewed the new version, produced by Rodale and Melcher Media, which lays out Gore’s take on the looming global climate crisis in a beautiful interactive format that allows the user to pinch and swipe their way through pages, infographics, videos and images.
The app opens with an introduction from the former Vice President who also offers a brief tutorial, which is helpful but inessential, thanks to the intuitive controls built into the application. A simple swipe left or right navigates between chapters and also turns pages within the app. Enhanced by a continuous bar along the bottom, you can quickly skip to interesting pages or images that catch your eye.
You can interact with any element within the pages; a quick two-finger pinch will pull out infographics or pictures, expanding them to full-screen. All of the expandable elements also contain geotags that display on a global map, giving the user a vision of how the facts presented fit into the big picture. Some infographics and videos contain further interactive features, letting users focus on certain areas or concepts.
A shining example of the potential of interactive media on the iPad, the dedication of the development team shows in how the app clearly presents the story, while enhancing the user experience with simple, elegant elements, without being overbearing or sluggish. In all, it’s an excellent demonstration of how to merge old and new media to produce an engaging, informative publication.
Pick up your copy from iTunes for $5.
