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Seattle-based design consultancy Artefact feels the printer hasn't evolved apace with the computers they're connected to, and their SWYP concept is designed to address that. The See What You Print machine would boast a full-length touchscreen on its top surface, asking the user to interact with the printer rather than the computer. This is more easily explained via video, so have a look:
While I think the video looks great, for me the SWYP raises more questions than it answers (perhaps pointing to a necessary debate?). For me, the printer is not something I want to interact with: As the old ID-school saying goes, I want the toast, not the toaster. My printer is hidden inside a cabinet, I hit a button on my computer and open the cabinet door only when I want to pick up the printout. I haven't seen the top, sides or back of my printer since I first installed it. Do I need more interaction with it? If so, that now means I must make space on my worksurface for it, clearing out some precious real estate.
Secondly it raises the question of software. Is the printer's photo editing software decoupled from my computer's built-in photo software? Do I add the photos directly to the printer? And if so, when I perform the image manipulations like the cropping done in the video, are those modified files then saved in the printer? Which further raises the question of how those files are archived and accessed.
I don't deny that the SWYP printer appears to be a fine piece of industrial and interface design as experienced during the discrete act of printing, but I'd like to see explanations of how the entire photomaking ecosystem works together.
Your thoughts?
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
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"See What You Print" Touch Printer Concept
In other words the real cache of this product is in the touch interface. As far as I'm concerned we only really need one touch ui is our lives that can connect to any number of applications and devices for output.
Color e-ink, by the way, will be much less accurate than LCD displays for a while yet. Their contrast is pretty low so colors are washed out.
It is a nice concept as it looks fun to use vs. the frustrating printer, but we're moving away from printing "pictures" like this. To sum it up: I'm not sure if its handy enough for professionals or could be priced low enough for its consumer niche.