By Tim Bleasdale, creative director, Ostmodern
Author:
ContributorPublish date:
Dec 20, 2018
In our digital world of OTT apps, websites and on demand products, it can be tempting to think of design purely as creating pretty pixels'. In reality, the way an end product looks is only a small part of the design process. In fact, it's only a fraction of what a visual' or user interface (UI) designer has to think about during the product design process.
Design is a way of thinking
For example, the ultimate visual layout and implementation of an interface is often preceded by a multitude of creative and strategic challenges, which need to be thought through or designed .
At this point, I need to be clear about what I mean by design'. It's a word that has different, subtle meanings which have evolved throughout the years. Design can mean:
'To make, shape'
To mark out, point out; devise; choose, designate, appoint (14th Century)
An intention to act in some particular way (18th Century)
Or the rather sinister: to contrive, plot, intend (16th Century)
Design encompasses so much more than just:
To plan execute and fashion with artistic skill'
Or a drawing, especially an outline' (17th Century)
It is important that designers not only gather the information they need to make creative decisions, but help others to apply creative rigour to their own thinking. For this reason, we always encourage others to think like designers. This is the idea of design thinking' that you may have heard about. My favourite element (and I believe the most important) of the design thinking' concept is empathy'.
It's crucial to begin with empathy towards everyone who is integral to a products development. This means empathising with and understanding: your audience; the demands of the business; and the people who will help you deliver the product. Understanding their expectations helps to create products which are very close to what all these groups need. This means that after launch, the number of iterations and improvements required to keep a product successful, and to anticipate change, will be much easier to manage. Too many times, I've seen businesses that do not empathise fighting a losing battle, trying frantically to engage their users after the fact, constantly labouring to reduce churn, and always being on the back foot.
Form should follow function
This saying is an old but good one. It is increasingly relevant in the diversifying marketplaces of video content and broadcast.
Looking at the high functioning products in this space, it's tempting to follow what they do as best practice for everything. I hear so many people referencing Netflix, wanting to be the Netflix of this', the Netflix of that'. But we forget that Netflix is designed from the ground up to compete in a particular environment, and if that's not your environment, then maybe you don't need to be like Netflix. In fact, it's probably best that you're not like Netflix.
I'll concede that there are certain paradigms that these high functioning products like Netflix popularise. They offer methods of interacting that people come to understand or even expect. However, that doesn't mean that copying these products feature-for-feature will be right for your business, content, or audience. It's a common myth in this industry that a product has to have every single feature going in order to compete a sort of feature space race. At Ostmodern, we don't follow this thinking. We believe that if you are always following you'll never innovate, and subsequently you'll never fulfil the needs of your audience. You'll never create a standout product. It's also worth remembering that if your aspirations don't fall within what's feasible you may not even be able to launch your product: your product will become the Netflix of lost causes.
The 80/20 approach
This is why empathy is so important. If you understand the expectations of your audience, your business objectives, and any complexities of the build, you'll be able to get the most out of delivering a lean set of features. This leads to what we refer to as the 80/20 approach, which is a nice way of ensuring your product asserts its personality and stands out from the start without breaking the bank or gambling on a crazy feature set.
When developing a new product or conducting a reset, our focus is to launch a product that can evolve with its users in the right direction. However, the key objective has to be that it will just work. In the case of video and broadcast products, this usually means that people need to be able to find and consume the content efficiently. It's the bread and butter of the products we make for a launch product, this is probably what you should focus 80 per cent of your effort on. This leaves 20 per cent of the effort to implement a unique interaction brand and features that differentiate your product and resonate accurately with your user base.
It's for this reason that we always meet and get into the mindset of an audience when defining product strategy. Understanding how they want to be spoken to, and what they really care about, is going to save a lot of time and money.
Where are your principles?
To develop a truly differential product, an understanding of your uniqueness needs to be referenced and reinforced throughout the development process.
This can be done by turning that empathy and understanding into rules or product principles.' Having product principles' which are driven by an audience makes further design decisions easy. Done well, the design process can work as a kind of snowball effect where each individual decision makes the next decision easier. Living by product principles' is t
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
16/07/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) today announced a strategic new integration to deliver ...
16/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Immersive Flight for New Cirrus App
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Leader in Personal Aviation taps URSA Cin...
16/07/2026
XenData Announces LTO Archive Appliances with both File and S3 Object Storage In...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
General-purpose robots and autonomous machines are moving from research labs to ...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and iconic gaming companies, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI ...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
By Tim Bleasdale, creative director, Ostmodern
