BBC

From 2010-11, I undertook an internship with the BBC, working on interactive TV platforms, including Red Button and iPlayer services.

I took a formative role in establishing guidelines for the use of typography on BBC TV, as well as supporting the visual design of Red Button features including BBC Radio 2 and Comic Relief.

Access to every headline

Working in collaboration with members of staff from across the BBC and external advisers including the Royal College of Art, I led an initiative to establish typography guidelines for TV platforms. This required an assessment of existing TV typography usage and guidelines, a contextual analysis of current and future platforms, and research into new forms of typography, specifically focusing upon legibility.

In order to determine font legibility, I designed an application capable of switching between typeface properties within a range of televisual contexts. We used this to determine reading preference in a lab-based usability study, which involved 20 participants, half of whom had additional physical and cognitive needs.

Our findings directly informed GEL guidelines, which now play a central role in making BBC News, Sport and Weather accessible to their diverse audiences.

BBC GEL TV Typography guidelines

Learning my trade from the best

I was immensely fortunate to work alongside some truly talented Designers and to learn from the best. When I didn’t have my head in a typography textbook, I learned how to design for TV, specifically both Red Button and iPlayer. I explored the technical capabilities of an evolving platform including the use of animation for the Glastonbury TV app, as well as assisting in the creation of screens for the Radio 2 Folk Awards and Comic Relief.