12 April 2016
Moleskine is the emblem of writing on paper, and it is an expression of the pleasure we derive from drawing and taking notes on a simple and well-made object, and one that has become a cult since it is the first choice of artists, thinkers and writers. So any attempt to turn it into something “smart” was a real challenge, precisely because it ran the risk of compromising its identity. But with the Paper Tablet Giulio Iacchetti has pulled it off. The designer from Lombardy has bet on the quality of the details, in keeping with the original, creating a new pocket book that is identical in form to the classic one, except for one aspect: the edges of the pages are rounded off and protrude from the traditional black cover to make it resemble a tablet. The special trimming used to shape the outer part of the sheets reinforces this visual transition. At first sight, it doesn’t look like paper, and yet it is: of medium weight (100 grams per square meter), it is ideal for writing, but also for drawing, while a grid hidden inside the sheet allows the pen to identify its position on the page. In fact the pen is a special aluminum one, called Pen+, equipped with a miniature camera that traces and digitizes what is written or drawn. The Moleskine Notes app also makes it possible to share, export, modify and search the digitized notes and sketches. Together, these three elements (notebook, pen and app) constitute the Smart Writing Set, whose endless possibilities can be discovered by watching this demonstration video, or by trying the set personally during Design Week at the BASE space at Via Bergognone 34 or at the Moleskine Store at Via Dante 15, in Milan. Paper Tablet is proof that the obligatory transition from the analog to the digital of which there has been so much talk for years, from opposing points of view, is a false scenario: all that is needed is to find new balances between supports and systems of different origin so that they can be integrated without losing their specific and important characteristics.
