Users are being given more and more control over how they consume content on a website.  Apple’s latest version of the Safari browser, Safari 5, is a great of example of how we’re evolving in this direction. The new reader feature built into Safari, allows the user to consume content in an easy to read format that subdues all the advertising on a website along with all other extraneous elements.  In an attempt to make the web a more readable experience, the Safari reader presents content to the user in a very elegant and simple format. This is clearly part Apple’s well planned strategy with a view to giving users yet another reason to buy an ipad and let go of print products.  If you never download a single app for your ipad, although I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t, you will still get a clean pleasurable experience reading your favourite content on the Safari browser that comes native with the device.

Of course, it goes further than the ipad. Any device that can run windows will also have access to this version of Safari and the new reader feature. It makes me want to read more online and it’s as easy as clicking one button. It just works – no configuration required.

Being a user experience professional in the digital publishing industry, the first alarm that goes off is, “what happens to our ad impressions?” The initial web page still has to load before the reader button is available so the impression should still register. Although animated ads that string through a number of animations or elaborate take-overs may suffer from this new feature. There is some relief for advertisers however; the reader feature is not available on index pages and other lead pages. In the case of an index page, the reader button is replaced by an RSS button. Only once you have selected an article, will you see the reader button.  Perhaps reader will strike a nice balance between the commercial experience and better web design.  Overall, I think its step in the right direction. This new feature underscores the need for UX designers to employ a simple, clean design approach. If we don’t do this, browser developers might do it for us.

Try it out – Download the new Safari Browser