Barnes & Noble, the largest bookstore chain in the US, is at a crucial point in its transformation from a brick-and-mortar retailer to a global digital service provider. While the company has made quick work of capturing almost 30 percent of the e-book market, the rise of digital reading has increased the pressure on Barnes & Noble to devise a long-term strategy to compete with Amazon. The challenge for the Nook Simple Touch was to create a lower-cost full-function e-reader and to do so on a timeline that would allow it to move to market quickly. The goal was to evolve and engage new and existing customers by creating a product experience that expresses an intimacy and understanding of their needs, something that Barnes & Noble has always done with its in-store experience.

The Nook Simple Touch is a digital reading device from Barnes & Noble that uses e-ink technology, a touch interface and wireless connectivity to create a immersive and personal reading experience. Designed to emulate the simplicity of a paperback book, the device is capable of purchasing, downloading and storing digital books and other published reading material in a simple, flexible format.

Coming just seven months after the launch of the Nook Color, the Nook Simple Touch was inspired by the idea of a digital paperback. Although intended to be a full-featured reader, it was simplified and made smaller, lighter and more portable, all at an affordable price. The device has a 6-inch screen surrounded by a black bezel with just one obvious button, putting the actual reading experience front and center. It weighs all of 7.48 ounces and is small enough to fit in a jacket, pocket or purse while holding up to 1,000 digital books plus personal content using the expandable memory slot.

The screen uses the latest e-ink technology to display crisp, clear text that allows users to read anywhere, even in bright sunlight. There’s no traditional touch screen. Instead, optical infrared sensors from the Swedish company Neonode surround the display and locate the position of the user’s finger on the screen. Page turns are lightning fast using the touch screen or the well-placed side buttons.

The design team went through many revisions to find the most comfortable grip with a gradual scallop making its way into the final design. Rounded edges were also very important so that the device would not dig into the palm. A soft-touch polyurethane material coats the entire device, giving the plastic a softer, warmer feel and a secure grip. Such tactile perception is important when replicating the experience of holding a paperback book.

Credit: Ammunition, Robert Brunner and Timothy Tan
Corporate Sponsor: Barnes & Noble
Contact: Vivian Wu: [email protected]