The power of print
Last week was the first time (at least as I remember) that I bought a football magazine. But with that title design, I could impossibly pass on this opportunity. This is the power of print and design. Here is the reason why:
The special issue of the football magazine 11 Freunde on the right introduces readers to clubs of the upcoming German football season. It has a take on the cover of the famous school atlas I essentially grew up with (unfortunately you can’t see the fine spoat coating here). Flipping through the maps was my favourite resort to dream away during boring lessons (yes, those existed). It did not only teach me about geography but instilled the desire to explore and discover. This probably led me initially into my first job in R&D and also onto many business and holiday trips. I still love to travel and explore new technology – and occasionally use the atlas to this day.
When I learned that my nieces did not have an atlas at school the first thing I did was buying them one. Sure, there is Google Maps and other electronic map services, but a printed product has the emotional qualities a fleeting screen image is lacking. The benefits of print in education have been proven before. You might also find that a 50-year-old atlas is outdated. This is true in cases, but the continental drift was not that strong to make maps unrecognisable and changing border lines are a reminder of how the world is changing and how artificial borders finally are.
The power of print has many facets. The joy of nostalgia is among them.
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