People have been speculating about and heralding the end of the printed word as we know it for at least the past ten years. As of yet, we haven't seen print die, but rather have seen it repositioned within the digital marketplace. Instead of causing a speculative stir about the future of print, design-superfirm IDEO has chosen to speculate on the impact that digital media will have on our reading experience and the 'book' as we currently know it.

Not only are their three concepts (nicknamed "Nelson," "Coupland," and "Alice") invigorating, but the manner in which they are presented – using human-feeling names and persona-inspired surroundings to create a mood – is reflective of IDEO's comprehensive approach to design thinking. I uphold this example not only as a great projection into the future of the book, but as a supreme model in the design of concepting.

Read more at IDEO's Design Thinking blog >