How NBC News Creates On-Air Graphics

Summary

This video highlights the role of ArtWorks, NBC's graphic design and animation team, in shaping the visual identity of major shows across NBC News, MSNBC, and streaming platforms. Creative Directors Sarah Schultz and Ventura Castro discuss the process of designing graphics, including branding for high-profile events like elections and debates. They emphasize the importance of news awareness, collaboration, and evolving design techniques. The team’s work not only tells stories visually but also leaves a lasting mark on history, with every graphic adding depth and meaning to the news narrative.

Takeaways

• 😀 Graphics play an essential role in contextualizing news stories and visually representing topics.
• 😀 The value of graphics is to provide identity and a face to news stories on screen.
• 😀 ArtWorks, a division of NBC News, MSNBC, and streaming platforms, handles all daily graphics for various shows.
• 😀 Recently, ArtWorks launched a new graphic package for NBC Nightly News, introducing a fresh identity with new typography and colors.
• 😀 Designers at ArtWorks must stay informed about current events to effectively inform their graphic designs.
• 😀 ArtWorks has the unique opportunity to create branding around significant moments in history, making the work long-lasting.
• 😀 Broadcast design teams work on projects such as general elections, midterms, debates, and primary coverage.
• 😀 Graphics are designed to communicate the essence of a story visually, even without audio, allowing viewers to understand the key message.
• 😀 A concept for a graphic package around redactions was created to emphasize the passage of time and historical clarity.
• 😀 Team collaboration is vital, with constant interaction between artists, animators, editorial, and technology teams to evolve and grow.
• 😀 Everyone can engage in graphic design today through devices, from cropping images to sharing social media posts, but true graphic design requires deeper conceptual understanding.

Q & A

What is the role of graphics in news reporting, according to the script?

Graphics are essential in contextualizing news stories, offering a visual representation that helps tell the story, providing a face and identity to the topics being covered.

Who are the main individuals involved in the work described in the script?

The main individuals mentioned are Sarah Schultz and Ventura Castro, who are Creative Directors at ArtWorks, the graphic design and animation arm of NBC News.

What is ArtWorks responsible for?

ArtWorks is responsible for creating graphic design and animation for NBC News, MSNBC, and streaming platforms. They handle daily graphics for various shows, branding, and package design.

What notable project is mentioned in the script, and what did it entail?

A notable project mentioned is the redesign of NBC Nightly News. This involved creating a new identity for the show, including a new logo, typography, and a fresh graphic package using colors never seen on the show before.

How does the design team stay informed about current events?

The design team stays informed by being avid news goers, continuously pulling in what’s happening around them to inform their work and create relevant graphics.

What kind of impact does the work of the design team have on historical events?

The design team's work, such as creating graphics for election debates, becomes a permanent part of historical events, as these graphics are featured in footage that continues to live on after the broadcast.

What is emphasized about the relationship between design and storytelling?

It’s emphasized that good design tells a story even without audio. The graphics should convey the general story, and the details should be communicated through well-designed elements like full screens and lower thirds.

What unique concept did the design team explore for a recent project?

For a recent project, the design team played with the concept of redactions and erasure, symbolizing the passage of time and the loss of clarity, which helped to create a gravity to the event being depicted.

How does collaboration play a role in the design process?

Collaboration is crucial in the design process, with the team working together on various aspects like editorial graphics, style, and technology to create effective and evolving designs.

What advice is given regarding failure in the design process?

The advice given is to not be afraid of failure, as it is through failure that designers grow and arrive at better solutions.