Words, pictures, graphics, and symbols—the very shape of content—is evolving before our eyes. The written word isn't going away, but it is being transformed. The days of straight running text on paper as our principal means of expressing ideas and delivering information are numbered as new digital tools change our communication landscape. For some, this transformation is liberating…for others, it's terrorizing.

For communicators—anyone with information or ideas to share—today is a period of transition. We can now show audiences insights that previously could only be explained with words. Tools born of the Internet allow us to manipulate data into forms that can bring us deeper understanding. The ease of multimedia grants even the technologically challenged the power to communicate with video, audio, and images to deliver a fuller communication experience. All good stuff, but these changes aren't likely to come easily after centuries of thinking print. Flipping the switch from print to digital requires effort on our part.

If you communicate, take note: Failure to understand new media forms and how they impact the way we write, speak, and think could leave you at a disadvantage. Conversely, embracing new digital tools—and the philosophy that drives them—can help you thrive in our hyperconnected world.

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION CHANGES EVERYTHING IN COMMUNICATIONS. We can no longer think in terms of paper documents as our end product. The Internet is increasingly pushing more dynamic modes of communication—not just functioning as a mechanism to deliver pdf files. Multimedia engages users in a way print cannot—offering them greater insights.

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION CHANGES NOTHING IN COMMUNICATIONS. Solid, time-tested communication skills are still an imperative. “Old school” ways to develop content are, and will always be, essential to information sharing.

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION CHANGES EVERYTHING IN COMMUNICATIONS, YET NOTHING AT ALL. Communications is about delivering meaning. Multimedia can help us grab someone's attention. It can also enable us to deliver a more powerful learning experience by “showing” rather than “telling.” But we can't depend on killer applications alone to express thoughts and share information. There has to be substance behind the style to breathe new life into content. Technology can enhance our understanding of content, but there must be solid ground beneath the gadgets and gizmos.

You may already know about some of the technologies described in the coming pages, but read with an open mind. The introductory chapters aren't so much about new tools as they're about developing the frame-of-mind to seamlessly incorporate new devices into your communication efforts. We've been busy adopting new communication tools, but have we taken the time to think about how they can best serve us?