Refreshing a National TV Channel Without Losing Its Viewers
Notes from art-directing the Saudi Television visual refresh.
Omar FawziSenior Art Director, Riyadh · 
A national channel is not a startup. People have watched it for years; its look is part of their routine. When the Saudi Broadcasting Authority set out to refresh Saudi Television's visual language, the brief was not to make something new. It was to make something that feels current without feeling like a stranger.
I was Art Director and Project Creative Lead on the project through PCG Holding. Here is what I learned.
Start with what people already trust
Before designing anything, we listed what viewers recognise instantly: the logo, certain colours, the rhythm of the on-air presentation. Those were not problems to solve; they were assets to protect. Every creative direction we explored had to answer one question: does this still feel like Saudi TV?
Present directions, not decorations
We developed several creative routes, each with a clear reason behind it. One leaned on heritage, another on movement and modern Saudi life, another on simplicity. Showing routes with reasons turns the discussion from taste into strategy, and makes approval faster.
A channel is a system, not a logo
The refresh covered far more than an ident: transitions, backshots, promotional graphics, lower thirds and the Now, Next & Later system. Each piece is small, but together they form the experience. A lower third that is hard to read at speed undoes the best ident in the world.
Design for the control room
Broadcast graphics are operated live, by teams under time pressure. We designed templates that are easy to fill, hard to break and consistent across programmes. The real test of a broadcast identity is whether it still looks right at the end of a long live day.
What I would tell anyone refreshing a heritage brand
- List what must not change before you discuss what should.
- Show directions with reasons, not a gallery of options.
- Design the whole system, down to the smallest on-screen element.
- Test it in the hands of the people who will run it every day.
A good refresh is one the audience feels before they notice it. That was the goal for Saudi Television, and it is the goal I bring to every rebrand.