We (Fw:) were invited by Motto to present our new publications. We made a mindmap in which we tried to connect as much publications as possible from the Motto shop to our new publications.
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COLLABORATION WITH
YEAR
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“If you like this, you might also like...” is Amazon’s clever way of directing customers buying Book X to other books that had been bought by other buyers of the same book: a personalized insight into other people’s purchasing behavior. Its cleverness is in the tone of voice. “If you like this, you might also like...” sounds like a bosom friend who knows how to value your taste properly. The selection offered is too fascinating to navigate away from it. Simple curiosity gets the better of you, as Amazon seems to offer a glimpse of your own soul. The bombardment of options takes away from this special feeling, but never mind…there is almost always something interesting amid the automatically generated ‘personal’ selection. And what if there isn’t? Even a close friend can make the mistake of recommending a movie that ends up disappointing you. No hard feelings.
The internet is like a friend who is always there for you, whom you can consult whenever you want; if you don’t trust your doctor, or if you don’t know who to give your vote to. However, it’s also like a friend who constantly gives you advice, especially of the unsolicited kind. It doesn’t seem to bother us much – in fact, we almost seem to expect the constant referral to new pages, new views, new information, new opinions, new trivialities.
It all looks so innocent, but the line between genuine or lighthearted advice and blatant advertising is becoming less and less obvious. This inspired us to go back to the basis of the idea: the intention to disclose information and reveal underlying structures. Of course, compared to Amazon, Motto represents only an ultra-microcosm, but it is exactly because of this, that our connective system can provide insight into the machinery behind the books: Who made these books? Who published them? Who designed them? We don’t rely on data of buying behavior, but on plain facts. If you are interested in a book of Photographer A, we’ll direct you to other books of Photographer A that are part of our selection. Other ways of connecting are based on publishers, designers, or authors.
