Leroy and Clarkson for Bio

I’ve noticed that, by and large, motion graphics students don’t “get” network packaging. Yeah, they love flashy promos all blinged out to catch viewers’ eyeballs amongst a sea of shiny, sparkly movement. But when it comes to celebrating solid network packages, the only fans seem to be the crickets.

Maybe it’s because quality network packaging skews a little more towards graphic design than balls-to-the-wall mograph. Legibility is key. Readers need to actually read and comprehend a slate of shows or a lower-third or a mortise in order for them to be effective. And figurative legibility—how clearly the network’s identity can be “read” across its programming—is even more important, regardless of how unsexy it might be.

A solid example of what I’m talking about is this new package from Leroy and Clarkson for The Biography Channel’s revamped image as simply “Bio.” L&C rock all the graphic design angles: negative space, scale, judicious use of grid systems, repetition, vibrant but not excruciating chromatic contrasts—you get the idea.

The package’s clean lines and snappy animation imbue Bio with a friendly but sophisticated personality—the kind of branding that’s worth big bucks, even if it doesn’t jump right out and demand them.