The Myth of the Paperless Office

by Abigail J. Sellen, Richard H. R. Harper

An examination of why paper continues to fill our offices and a proposal for better coordination of the paper and digital worlds. Over the past thirty years, many people have proclaimed the imminent arrival of the paperless office. Yet even the World Wide Web, which allows almost any computer to read and display another computer's documents, has increased the amount of printing done. The use of e-mail in an organization causes an average 40 percent increase in paper consumption. In The Myth of the Paperless Office , Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper use the study of paper as a way to understand the work that people do and the reasons they do it the way they do. Using the tools of ethnography and cognitive psychology, they look at paper use from the level of the individual up to that of organizational culture. Central to Sellen and Harper's investigation is the concept of "affordances"—the activities that an object allows, or affords. The physical properties of paper (its being thin, light, porous, opaque, and flexible) afford the human actions of grasping, carrying, folding, writing, and so on. The concept of affordance allows them to compare the affordances of paper with those of existing digital devices. They can then ask what kinds of devices or systems would make new kinds of activities possible or better support current activities. The authors argue that paper will continue to play an important role in office life. Rather than pursue the ideal of the paperless office, we should work toward a future in which paper and electronic document tools work in concert and organizational processes make optimal use of both.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Technology, Design, Science, Sociology, Research

245 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Shiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, but was reminded of it today. A great book on design and affordances, which makes a strong point about why paper is here to stay for the foreseeable future -- at the very least, until our digital devices can afford the same functionalities that paper can. Great book on user studies and design.

[Jan D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book showing that simply dropping in a technology will not solve complex problems by itself.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing that almost 20 years later and this research still stands on its own. Probably could have been 150 pages so a little repetitive at times.

[Daniel Gusev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great summary of all intrinsic features and properties of paper that allow the medium to survive the onslaught of digital devices. Tactile feedback allows both scribbles and tokens of exchange retain their role.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have been a magazine article. Specifically, Chapter 6 should have been a magazine article.

The rest is the turgid prose of a research report in the humanities, hoping to get paid by the word, grasping for the next grant.

[A Ter · Rating 3 out of 5]

unconventional, quirky snapshot of a subject on the cusp of major transformation... fun to read, if nothing else, as a reminder just how suddenly change happens

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This famous book was, I thought, quite boring, considering the important contribution it's made, documenting the particular 'affordances' of paper as a reading, writing, filing, and collaboration system. I felt that the book's argument could have been presented in a single article rather than the long, humourless reporting in which the authors indulge. In tone, it is much like David Levy's Scrolling Forward, which I read and reviewed earlier this year.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that well informs both the process of cognition and meta-cognition is a mighty fine book. I just wish it was more concise.

[Cuellared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy bueno. Pero ha pasado el tiempo y ya no esta acorde con la tecnolog�_a moderna. Buena introducci�_n pero ya no libro de cabecera que era antes.