ZDF Redesign

Type: TV channel design / Client: ZDF / Agency: thefinest & Florian Hausberger Studio / Date: September 2021

Together with my good friends @thefinest we got the opportunity to pitch, design and finally also realize the new promotion design of Germanys public TV market leader ZDF.

Confident, bold, flexible and responsive - these attributes outline the new design. During development we paid attention to ensure that the brand's core remains intact and is carefully enhanced. We introduced new elements to make the design system future-fit with modern workflows in the background.

The design is characterized by a reduction to the essentials. The orange circle plays a key role here. Like the logo, it stands for ZDF, sets the station apart from its competitors and is therefore a real unique selling point. We freed it from its rigid corset, moved it to the center and thus awakened it to new life. The circle may vary in size, moves horizontally and ensures the animation flow. At the same time it is responsive: It reacts to the image, changes its color and interacts with the design.

In addition to the circle, the new "ZDF Type" font is an essential part of the new design. Striking, clear and varied - the new typeface underlines the self-confident appearance of the station.

When developing the new design we wanted to achieve as much flexibility as possible. We searched for ways to stage the diverse program content the ZDF has to offer in the best possible way. Thus we created a scalable system with numerous customization options for trailers. The content influences the design and not the other way around. Image layout, typography and colors adapt and offer optimized layouts for different communication goals, media platforms and formats. Despite the high degree of individuality that is achievable in this way, all the elements come together to form a homogeneous overall picture. The design serves current viewing habits, requirements and technologies while always remaining timeless and elegant.