Physical Media Still Means More

Yesterday I read a great article asking whether the traditional business card is dead. I don’t think so. In many ways I think it’s more important than ever. In an age of web and technology, the impact  of physical media can be incredibly powerful. Physical media still means more.

The attraction of luxury

Twenty years ago, an item like a business card was a necessity. It was the only way to effectively pass on your information to a potential business partner. Business cards were generally pretty plain; name, company and contact details. They were of functional importance.

People might collect hundreds or thousands of cards and put them in a rolodex. Today I collect hundreds or thousands of URLs and put them into my bookmarks. Those bookmarks are often lost and forgotten in the clutter, just like those cards in a rolodex often were.

My reliance now is more on websites and social media profiles. When so much of my interaction is online, it’s easy to give someone a link to follow. It’s functional, but because it’s so functional, it’s also boring.

A physical business card is more powerful now by virtue of being unnecessary. If it’s not a necessity then it’s a luxury. When I’m given a luxury (however trivial), I remember who gave it to me. I’m likely to examine it at least once, and to keep it.

Rarity and the personal touch

The premise applies to far more than just business cards. Think how powerful receiving a hand written letter from a friend can be. It doesn’t happen very often these days. I remember what’s rare and what’s unusual far more than something I experience on a daily basis.

Beyond rarity, physical media can also suggest a personal touch. The information in a letter could just as easily be conveyed in an email. That someone took the time to write a letter by hand, find a stamp and mail it, makes me feel important. By providing me with something physical, that person showed they cared.

A good demonstration of this is the relative failure of e-cards to replace physical greetings cards. Like most people, I only send greetings cards to family and close friends, people I genuinely care for. An e-card just doesn’t cut it.

A tactile experience

I like to buy art. I have various framed prints, but my favorite pieces are created with oil or acrylic, on canvas. They have physical dimensions, texture, even scent. It makes them more vibrant and powerful for me.

I always feel more connected to something that I can touch. It’s why I still do as much work as possible with pen and paper, even if the final result is going to be something digital. It’s also why, however crowded my shelves become, I’m always buying new books and never a Kindle or Nook. It’s why every drug store you go to has a booth where you can print out your digital photos!

Keep it feeling special

I can’t replicate most of the properties of physical media in a website. I still try to remember and replicate some of the qualities. The best websites feel luxurious, rather than merely functional. They’re unusual, and therefore rare. They make me as a visitor feel personally important. They look to incorporate texture or depth.

Imperfect as the imitation might be, incorporating those qualities into website design is an acknowledgment of the vital impact and importance of physical media.

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