Snail mail may seem outdated in the digital era, but direct mail campaigns garnered a higher response rate than any digital channel in 2016. Canvas8 spoke with Charlotte Pearce, founder of Inkpact – a handwritten marketing company – to find out why the pen can be mightier than the keyboard.

Typing has made handwriting seem pointless, if not quite completely obsolete. So why are people continuing to buy and use paper notebooks? A new study proves that handwriting enthusiasts are not just hopeless romantics, but actually have a legitimate reason for preferring ink on paper.

Despite living in the digital era – with note-taking apps offering a high-tech alternative to regular notepads – manufacturers of writing tools and planners are experiencing a boom. So what’s behind the return of pen and paper? And is this revival anything more than a hipsterish fad?

We’re now constantly connected – the average person checks their phone 150 times a day – but it’s an unwanted burden for many. Canvas8 spoke with cyborg anthropologist Amber Case, author of Calm Technology, to understand the importance of designing tech that respects people’s limited attention.