Behind the screen: evolution, innovation, and inclusion with MTV’s digital design team

On any given day, their team could be working on a show pitch, a set design, an IRL exhibition, or ideas for all sorts of specialised content to launch on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. So it’s fair to say the team has an eclectic armoury of skills ready to whip out, no matter the medium. “It’s a fluid process,” Rich says, “with many creative individuals who often do more than their job description.” At the team’s helm, Rich likes to view leadership “through a sports lens, looking at the skills of the players and how that translates to chemistry on the court.”

Individually, Rich, Gavin and Ariel bring their own expertise, often rooted in physical creative mediums. Rich was an SVA Illustration grad and editorial illustrator for publications such as The New York Times before he moved into advertising, branding and even sneaker design (a childhood passion). Gavin grew up making websites and art for video games in the days of dial-up internet, before formally studying graphic design and branding (though mainly for print and packaging), and eventually the two combined when he got into digital graphics and social content creation. “I saw the potential,” Gavin remembers, “once you see how internet vitality takes off, and how creating at a fast pace teaches you to have a more iterative process.” Ariel, meanwhile, found her creative path through early dabblings in painting, mixed media, fashion, textiles and sculpture, only learning about graphic design at college, a meeting of the logical and creative sides of her brain that felt “a natural fit”. Before MTV she worked on digital content for ABC Family (now FREEFORM).

The team’s divergent skills and interests are revealed further when pushed to choose their favourite recent projects. Gavin picks out a content piece for Snapchat Discover, which saw them create a mix-and-match system of creative assets given to designers to put together in seemingly infinite combinations. “It’s visually unique in that we approached it from a Lego mentality, creating a ton of MTV-branded pieces, which allows for a consistent vernacular while still allotting creative freedom.”

Ariel describes a set-design project for the MTV studio in LA, comprising four distinct spaces to shoot talent and influencers. “We wanted it to feel fun and ‘Instagrammable’,” she says of the look, which was developed with a set designer, “a cool space that talent would enjoy shooting in as well as photographing themselves in to post to their socials. The project was different for me because I wasn’t just focused on the graphics but also what the actual space looked like.” The design of the space then informed the set of video graphics the team developed to go with content shot in the space.

Both Rich’s choices point to a pertinent topic that is always a core part of his agenda: diversity and representation, in both the team and its output. Cultural diversity is key to the team’s unique perspective, he says. “Historically, and for too long, the design industry has been too Euro-centric, too binary, too male, too white. This goes for academia and cultural gatekeeping. I’ve made it a goal to widen the aperture of historical and creative influence. At the end of the day, it’s about representing the communities that you’re communicating to behind the scenes as well as within the content.”

Rich himself is first-generation Filipino-American and hosts the Webby Honoree podcast called First Generation Burden, which focuses on intersectionality in the creative industry. He says that growing up he “rarely saw creative heroes who looked like me, even less in the media and on screen”. So when he started out on his career he says he “knew it was important to carve my own path, and collaborate with individuals who found strength in their individuality, their communities, and had unique points of view. The concept of ‘inclusion’ is only felt when you understand what it feels like to be excluded for reasons outside of your control, especially in a system which has not carved out a path for you.” He adds that, in his podcast, which is a personal project, he “constantly hear[s] stories of being tokenized and ‘othered’. One of the positives of the current climate is that we can openly discuss these things. One of the worst things about being ‘othered’ is that you feel you have no one to turn to.”

In terms of its impact on the work, Rich says that “when there are many voices at the table, you have a larger pool of ideation, creativity, and insight into your audience. The concept of ‘with, not for’ comes to mind, which is often used in the context of creating inclusive spaces and social planning. I would rather build with someone in a way that empowers, empathises, and shows solidarity, as opposed to for someone, which can be condescending, as if to say: ‘We are building this for you, but know better than you.’ It’s a subtle distinction.”

Gavin is also Filipino and says that while his experience of the industry has been largely positive from entry to intermediate level, the biggest challenges are the moves to more senior roles and above “where representation is less diverse,” he says. “From here I’ve felt inclusion and representation was my responsibility to create and establish for others to hopefully inspire them to do the same.” A team with different backgrounds and voices brings variety to the approaches within the creative process, he adds, “which allows for different ways to solve problems,” something especially vital in the fast-changing world of social media.

Meanwhile, Ariel has also found herself on diverse teams, in terms of gender and ethnicity, despite only around three percent of designers being Black. “I’ve never felt it’s held me back, but I would love to see more Black designers in the industry. Earlier in my career, seeing the lack of Black faces in design, I was never sure if it would hinder me in any way. I used to not include my photo on my portfolio just in case it could affect my chances of being called in.” Speaking about diversity of perspective in the creative process, she argues that “more is more! You get a greater breadth of ideas, knowledge and creativity by having representation different to what you know or are familiar with.”

Familiarity is a tricky balance at MTV. Its evolving audience could be nostalgic for its pioneering music video ‘heyday’, or only know it for internet-breaking reality TV shows; and its design aficionado fans can be precious about its visual history. “I think there’s a value in heritage,” Rich says, “but with modern considerations. Right now, in our social content, music is still very prominent, except today’s artists are Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, and Pop Smoke (RIP). It has such a rich and eclectic visual history, and so many talented people have gone through its doors. What I love about the culture here is that literally everything has history. I felt the same way when I worked at Nike. You can casually walk through the halls (when we were at the office) or pick up a random book and see a piece of design history.”