Orange is not the only colour

The proportions applied to the ground floors of major buildings, from principles defined by Euclid, executed by the modern greats from Palladio on, and treasured in British banking halls from the turn of the 20th Century, are reflected in New Broadcasting House. Not just to even up with the original Val Meyer building, but to give an appropriate sense of scale on entering the building.

So Director of News James Harding's insistence on a ground floor  "office" has presented an architectural conundrum. The shell is complete - it's being called "a glass enclosure", but to reach the ceiling means it's taller than it is wide, reminiscent of something that needs filling with water.

To make it look a little less like a fish-tank, swirling orange decals - brighter than most bright things on a breakfast news set - have been applied to the glass. Furniture yet to arrive...

Embryonic

Somewhere hidden in ITV-land, the hosts of Good Morning Britain are up and about doing pilots ahead of next Monday's launch. So expect a dripfeed of pre-publicity photographs and interviews. And, this morning, the revelation of the new logo...

I can sort of imagine the pitch: "It's like a speech bubble for the social media generation, with egg yolk connotations - and a hint of guitar plectrum. It says we'll be connecting with you at breakfast, and plucking at your heart strings with the best human interest stories".

• 0840 update: Alternate take, from @blogmywiki: "It's a sunrise - but an anchored sunrise, a new dawn - with a point to make"

Ded Bee

One of two things is broken. Either the spellchecker on the BBC Presentation graphics computer - or the lock on the British Cream Sherry cupboard next to it.

Try another flavour

Al Jazeera's code of ethics, item 2: Endeavour to get to the truth and declare it in our dispatches, programmes and news bulletins unequivocally in a manner which leaves no doubt about its validity and accuracy.

Old, but...

Always sunny

In the topsy-turvy world of BBC News, the tv channel known as BBC World is now firmly ensconced in windowless basement studios of Broadcasting House. But we can't see it in the UK - unless you find someone with an amusing sat card.

I can recommend the "Set Breakfast No 2" at an Italian restaurant not far from Highbury tube (more details on demand) for views of Nik Gowing in said basement, positioned in front of a laser disc confection of the Thames that would make Canaletto proud.  It's all part of BBC's commitment to transparency.

The magic touch

I'm grateful to TVNewser for this discovery of what can go wrong with touchscreens in tv journalism. Here's a journalist at Canadian public affairs network LCN in Quebec, trying to explain the background to the current current difficulties in Gaza and Israel.

 

Safety first

One suspects very few risks are being taken with the latest relaunch of Daybreak, next week. The graphic designer of the "new" logo, clearly had a hammer hovering over his knuckles....

Laura Tobin joins the team to present the weather; Lucy Verasamy moves to national bulletins at lunchtime, six and ten.

Coarse

It was fairly soon after its appearance that the London 2012 Olympic logo was adapted in various, less flattering ways. But is it possible someone, somewhere at NBC didn't click on the right one when searching - or is this screen-grab a fake ?

Picture this

Amanda Farnsworth, currently helping Roger Mosey with the BBC's coverage of the London Olympics, has been appointed as the first editor of a new "visual journalism unit" for BBC News.

The new unit, which will be based in Giant Newsroom of The Future at Broadcasting House, will apparently provide "graphics, data visuals and editorial content across TV, connected TV, PCs, tablets and mobiles for UK and global audiences". As you might guess, it's really a plan to save money by using the same visual "across all platforms", thus cutting graphic artist jobs. The reality is that, in tv news, there is a current fashion for using a fancy graphic to anchor stories, rather than a picture - whilst the money's already gone from online news, and they're using a picture or simple text, rather than a fancy graphic. Good luck with the DQF cuts, Amanda.

Just a game

The United Nations Space Command (UNSC) serves as the military, exploratory, and scientific agency of the Unified Earth Government. The UNSC was formed in the 22nd century which was a time when remnants of old cultural ideologies clashed for supremacy in the Sol System. It is led by Lord Hood.

It is fictional - part of a video game series called Halo.

That strike in graphics

You can hear and see, rather too obviously, a plan clunking into gear at the BBC.  Huw Edwards sets the tone with a zombie background..

Around the country (though not, oddly, in London) the regional opt-outs offer more zombies in "specially extended bulletins" (presumably because the 6.30pm offerings got wiped out in Murray-mania). This from Look North for Yorkshire.

But the graphic didn't appear to have reached BBC Look East, who had clearly made their own.

Line up time

Signwriting is a skill; I even found getting Letraset straight more than tricky, despite the helpful line-up dots. The first stab at big, bold signage at MediaCityUK looks a little wonky in this shot.

The 'e', 'S' and 'd' could do with a nudge down, to an untrained eye.  I am, however, assured by the clear vision of contributors to the MediaCity thread here, that it's all been sorted now.

BBC, BBC, BBC

The BBC is asking for planning permission to put three logos on three buildings at MediaCityUK (spotted by the ever-reliable CDX on the excellent thread at Skyscraper City).

More interesting will be a decision on what to call the buildings, currently affectionately known as A, B and C. And a way for the public to find which one they should go to....

Excellent interview with Vincent Connare, creator of the much-maligned Comic Sans typeface, in the Wall Street Journal.

Lions tamed

A day late, but this story from the Telegraph reveals that England's footballing lions were, technically, heraldic leopards - and French. The graphics team has now tweaked them - but needs permission from the top for the change.

Before After

Sign of the times

One of a range of twisted logos reflecting the global recession. More available at businesspundit.

Interactive

Opportunities for interactive digital signage with a new range of big touchscreens from Samsung. Thanks to Gizmodo.

Letters on the Subway

Erudite and engaging piece on signage for New York's subway system at Voice - the website of AIGA, formerly known as the America Institute of Graphic Arts. It's by Paul Shaw, and is called The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway.

The Big Draw

Find myself leaving King's Cross just as sister station St Pancras prepares to host a series of events around The Big Draw, organised by the Campaign for Drawing. Sponsors and patrons are many and varied, including Andrew Marr and Foster & Partners. Is doodling drawing ? Then I'm in......

Active signage

Thoughful article by Ben Terrett in Design Week on a future for signage where we make much more use of active data. He's talking about outside, but it's also the way I'd like to see signage going inside the redeveloped Broadcasting House.

I came to the story via Polymeme, and Dan Gould's contribution on the PSFK blog, where I found this photo - a cool, Covent Garden, way to tell someone where your offices are !