Imaginary Forces

Michelle Dougherty is an award-winning creative director and broadcast designer.  Imaginary Forces, Los Angeles

Imagine it’s 2025: What’s it like to be a broadcast designer?

It's really exciting! Eighteen years ago, back in 2007, we never thought we'd come as far as we have. The extremely diverse and ever-emerging forms of media devices have allowed us more flexibility while simultaneously presenting new problems for us to solve.

When SecondSkin first appeared on the market, no one thought you'd be able to watch programming on it. What started as just a timekeeping device -- a simple, breathable membrane around your wrist – has become the newest form of communication. The greatest thing is that no one can tell it's there, until the otherwise flesh colored screen appears on your wrist.

This is where designers come in. The screen of SecondSkin requires programming to be visible in almost every environment, from complete darkness to sunlight. The built-in light sensors help brighten or darken the image, depending on the setting, but designers have to be aware of these restrictions and use design elements such as color, sound and typography appropriately.

Another example is the ShoeCAM. The removable screen housed in the rear of the tennis shoe is extremely thin and slightly curves, which presents certain issues, as well, for a designer.

The "create-your-own-scene" function on Compu-TVs has allowed the viewer to become part of the storytelling process. And even though that sounds like they're making a play for our jobs, it actually creates a tighter relationship with the viewer, facilitates dialogue and sparks new ideas. Insta-stats that show which of your designs is most popular are quite rewarding.

The complete integration of advertising into programming has changed broadcast design. With the products being advertised within a program’s content, we've made commercials within commercials.  Formats have changed so much that we aren't restricted to the :60, :30 and :15 commercial standards of early television. Because we're streaming content 24 hours on privately owned networks, the need for such strict formats/schedules has disappeared. Designers now have to tell stories in even smaller amounts of time.

Marshall McLuhan once said, "We become what we behold." Being a designer in 2025 brings much more responsibility than ever before. The content we create now is even more accessible and influential to our audience.