MIX: latest awesomeness by the killer app, Paper

I have been raving to anyone who will listen about the latest awesomeness from Paper, by Fifty-Three – their new feature: MIX!

Paper has always supported some sharing it’s users –  either in the app itself (they seemed to curate examples, i was never sure how you got your stuff in the collection..) or through easy self-publishing to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

But now, the sharing is part of the app, and in the spirit of OPEN: when you sign up for Mix, you agree that all the content is open and free for the taking – no copyright/ownership (though attribution is built in – if you share, you get cred). As my pal Clint observed (as I was flailing my arms around with glee), Paper is (still), my KILLER APP. And it just got more killer with MIX.

So people draw stuff, and then other people grab it and add/remove/change. And re-share (or not, as you wish). What’s emerging is a culture of creating visual invitations (ie., it’s cool if people take YOUR thing and add to it, so you want to make it inviting, and leave room for others). There are stats to show how many remixes have been made with each drawing. It’s amazing how much people will riff on a simple circle, an empty “thought bubble”, or a blank “crayon” (create your own colour and name it).

In addition to riot of images, colours, and endless ideas for your own drawings, the really cool thing is we are engaging in visual conversations (by asynchronous drawing together) about topics like:

• what is teaching and learning?
• what are you afraid of?  how are you spending your precious time? fill in the Proust questionnaire, what book/movie/quote do you love?
• asking for help: “can someone teach me _________ “(e.g., how to achieve the look of “neon” in Paper? and then someone draws a “how-to” in response)
• offering help: sharing illustrations and examples of how to ________ (mix colours, draw a robot, sign words in ASL, make a margarita, and on and on it goes)

It is a great way to build community and showcase the power and flexibility of this simple app. I’m not sure if or how the content is being watched and “controlled”, but I’ve seen nothing but positive contributions, some great artistic talent, and evidence that there are a LOT of smart, quirky and hilarious people drawing out there, and willing to share it, for “nothing”. Killer!