The other day upon seeing my perturbed father I struck a conversation about the digital world encompassing us. Physical and digital worlds have collided and now its an exciting time to make them work as closely as possible. I will share 4 examples to discuss the similarity between the physical and the digital world.

1.Compass – Compasses have been around for hundreds of years. The utility of this device has been enormous in terms of exploration and discovery. Navigating the vast planet with a correct sense of direction has been pivotal in development. That hasn’t changed much with the advent of the digital age. It is clearly visible in the images as how the digital compasses (apps) have mimicked the physical device.

2.Stickies/post-its – Quite a handy invention to keep notes and bookmark stuff. Especially with the world vouching for Agile ways of work they are quite a boon. The same has translated to the digital world. Quick notes that don’t need to be saved or stored in the conventional ways can be jotted on digital stickies or pot-its which too look the same in digital space providing the same utility.

3.Watches – Timepieces have served both utility and fashion for centuries. The digital footfall in the watch industry revolutionized the way we looked at the dials on our wrists. We can now do a lot more than just check time. We can take calls, read messages, get notifications, etc. However, the traditional dial or the hour, minute and second arms won’t go out of fashion so soon. As we can clearly observe in the image how the age old style is being integrated.

4.Books – The cradle of knowledge since generations has got a facelift over the last 2 decades but the integration of a real book’s look and feel is something that has designers look at e-books as not just as digital files, but rather an experience the user would feel while navigating through it. In an attempt to make it as real as possible the experience is clearly driven by what we see and experience in the physical world.

Thank you. Do let me know what you think!