Redesigning the little NFL on-screen TV bugs
Tech whiz Ryan Freebern of Plainfield, N.H. — and contributor to The Uber-Review — took the time this week to critique the little score-and-time-remaining screen bugs used by the major networks for their NFL coverage and to suggest a better-designed bug.
CBS bug:
FOX bug:
NBC bug:
Freebern’s proposed bug redesign:
The little “ying-yang” icon would be the network logo, of course.
My take is that Ryan is trying to squeeze too much into such a small space. I don’t agree that we need to know what yard line the ball is on. We can see that — thanks to the little arrows the NFL added to its fields markings a couple decades ago. And I don’t think we need the play clock every down, either.
Still, it’s an interesting exercise. This would make a great class project for some enterprising college professor out there.
Read Freebern’s critique and analysis in his technology and art blog.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:21 am
Well at least he made the fonts larger! Even on big screen TVs those things can be so hard to see. It’s to find that other people sit and think about the design that goes into those things.
Of the ones above, I think I like Fox’s the best if it’s hugging the edge of the screen like I think it does. Nice and out of the way.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
One of the best parts about watching an old football game on TV is to see how the graphics have evolved. The time and score used to be popped up only now and then. With today’s games, I just want the score and time, and for both to get out of the way. I hate watching a game and realizing my eyes keep wandering down to the scrolling scoreboard and not the game I’m trying to watch.