Red Dot has been orchestrating their Product Design competition since 1954 and has various categories that put the spotlight on international design. Its award, the Red Dot, is an internationally recognised quality seal. The best products receive the Red Dot: Best of the Best award. The Inkbook Prime and InkBook Classic 2 have just won the award for the best e-reader.
“In the course of our operations, we have pooled a lot of experience we then used while working on inkBOOK Prime and inkBOOK Classic 2. Having analysed a number of aspects, we noted that the e-reader user has completely different requirements than those for a smartphone or a tablet, that are used often, but for short periods of time – for several or a dozen minutes or so at a time. Reading a book takes up to several hours, which creates entirely different conditions. We decided to break the tendency dominating currently and present a design that emphasises ergonomics above all. The key aspects were: how comfortably the device fits into your hands when held for many hours and reduction of both eye and hand strain,” said Paweł Horbaczewski, the founder of inkBOOK’s manufacturer, the Arta Tech company.
“inkBOOK Prime and inkBOOK Classic 2 readers were created out of passion that can be compared to the commitment a bookbinder had to put into making a cover for a book years ago. The way inkBOOKs were shaped makes them easier to grab and feel secure in your hands. The design of the back surface with curving lines was inspired by a book being opened. This is how we got the perfect fit to your palm and subtle support for your fingers. The back cover slopes towards its edges and makes it seem slimmer and visually lighter,” said Piotr Maciejewski, the founder of ID Design atelier responsible for designing the new inkBOOK readers.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
