Return to Real: Getting Back to the Tangible

I think in the same way 2014 will be the year of unplugging, I see many of us gravitating toward the tangible, the physical, to “combat” the overly digitized way we’ve been doing things lately.

Here are some examples of this “Return to Real” theme, as I call it.

Evite Ink

I still remember when electronic invitation engines first launched, and Evite really cornered that market for a while. Now there’s Punchbowl, Paperless Post, and countless others.

But today, I noticed that Evite is offering a new service called Evite Ink for “beautifully crafted, printed invitations.”

Which reminds me of my cousin’s company…

Postcard on the Run

Touting their apps as “technology delivered the old-fashioned way,” Postcard on the Run lets you send REAL postcards in the mail to anyone, anywhere directly from your phone.

There’s an app for iPhone, Android and Windows phones. Sign your postcard with your finger, add a personal message and some embellishments, even add a video. The recipient receives a physical postcard in the mail featuring the photo of your choice. Another similar app is Felt for the iPad.

Sure there are many sites out there where you can order real cards, real calendars, real and tangible products. What I found  interesting was seeing a long-standing electronic invitation company – a digital service – adding a physical card mailing service to their business and mobile app companies offering tangible postcard mailing services instead of the usual “email this photo to a friend” feature.

Where are you seeing the digital “returning to real?”