Broadcast Design, Don't Ape the Web

This article first appeared in the May 2002 issue of the Convergence Report

By Chris Manners

Although it isn't a particularly new phenomenon, broadcast design has been mimicing the Web. And there are few reasons why this trend continues to have legs. The generous explanation is that cable companies such as MSNBC, CNN, Sky Sports, and TechTV are already planning their interactive services and they're preparing us for the multiple sources of information that they'll be piping into our households. Warming us up to the future by making sure the neural pathways for this fantastic blast of valuable data are already routed out before it arrives on our doorstep. The news ticker runs across the bottom of the screen, as the right-hand third of the screen provides a 3D enhanced map of the weather. Meanwhile, the picture-in-picture newsreader covers the headline stories and whispers in our ear that we're ready for the full-blown set of interactive information features.

But why, then does the ticker tape not provide more detailed or useful news? Or, actually, for that matter provide different news? Instead of providing additional factual data that supports or gives greater depth to a story that's being read, they instead merely provide headlines. The split-screen weather data is supplanted, though, by the standard two-and-a half spot dedicated to the weather, complete with the prerequisite weatherman. The sports spot hasn't gone away. And neither have the main headlines, for that matter. The standard content remains, but instead "enhanced" by this supplemental data.

Admittedly, it's occasionally interesting to have something to read when the "featured" story (the one that's being read) isn't of any real interest. But they only add tickers for stories that are going to be "featured," anyway. Which means that in fact, the ticker is instead a form of advertisement for the show. If you're a "seasoned" viewer and you read a ticker headline that interests you, you might be inclined to leave the channel on and watch a little longer. Hmmm, do you think that the networks have someone working on a marketing plan for that supplementary information? If they can do it, they'll be taking sponsorships for those tickers before you know.

What's worse is the fact that news shows that aren't part of a 24-hour cable news channel are beginning to copy the style of broadcast design. Your local news now has more horizontal type than ever before: the story's name (think "American Taliban," or "Mideast Crisis") projected in the background, the newsreader's name, the station ID, the time (on morning news) and so forth. You get the idea.

I blame the Web. It's been pervasively the hot new thing for a few years now. Even with the dot.bomb implosion, it remains at the forefront of coolness for technology. It's been an outlet for huge numbers of creative individuals who haven't had the opportunity to explore design concepts in an inexpensive medium with a wide audience. It's also, obviously, a great source of information. In fact, it's such a source of data that a new discipline has risen as the Internet has matured information architecture. To be fair, the art and science of information display and acquisition is not completely new, but a vastly larger number of people practice and apply the skill because of the Internet.

But just because the Web has revived interest in the concept of the display of information, doesn't mean that television should copy and ape the Internet. Admittedly, there have been some broadcast design campaigns that have really been invigorated by Web design. ABCs simple yellow and black campaign that's coupled with the four tones is a strong example of adopting the less is more, flat-color aesthetic of the Web. When the network's show promos cut between a series of vertical thirds of black and white stills of the actors and a large band of yellow with timeslots, it's attractive. But this isn't really an artifact of web design.

associated with Bauhaus design sensibilities. The Web uses these techniques simply because of bandwidth constraints. The fact that the concepts work well on television really only demonstrates that a good design aesthetic can be applied to any medium.

In the meantime, what we're left with is the ticker, a paucity of imagination in television news broadcast design and perhaps a self-serving promotional device that's trying to sneak under the wire by pretending to be a by-product of convergence or interactivity. Now, I'm not going to stop watching cable news, but I am looking forward to a new design approach. But I'm not expecting that they'll treat me with any more respect.

This article first appeared in the May 2002 issue of the Convergence Report