Why Interactive & not Digital

Many people asked me over the past years why i changed the “digital” department to be the “interactive” department at Parasol Island.
“What is the difference?”, “I thought it is the same?”, “But everybody calls themselves digital, so why interactive?”.
Right, everybody calls themselves digital these days. And they are right about it. Everything is becoming digital. The shift from analog to digital photography, writing your notes in evernote and not into your good old moleskin, … what could become digital will be.
We are in times, where films that have a start and an end win the “digital” category in cannes. There is no interaction rather than pressing the play button and commenting about it on youtube. Is it digital? Yes. Is it Interactive? No. (Kk, it has a GUI, there is some interaction, but i guess you get the point.)

Digital limits yourself to “digital”. or: “digital media”, such as graphics, animation, video, audio, games, websites, … And that is not what we do. Interactive is not limited to electronic media or digital media, it is about “interaction”. Interactions with an audience.

For me “digital” & “interactive” can not be used interchangeably. “Digital” can be a part of “Interactive”. We want the freedom to pick whatever brush we have to create interactive work. You can choose to use digital media to create an interactive experience. But you can decide to use a guy in a flamingo costume as well. Putting the audience in control.
And that is what we do.