Big Brother 5

the design brief: be evil to the users…

I spent two months as a task designer / maker for Big Brother 5, the original 24 hour reality TV show. Being 24 hour, the deadlines were hectic and being live the design team had to respond imaginatively and immediately.

I had a fantastic time as part of a tiny team of just four full and part-time designers, brought together by a sense of camaraderie in adversity, and made long-term friends. We produced everything from woodwork, electrics and graphics to foam sculptures, sourcing items on a shoestring budget and going out on random missions around London for the most bizarre items.

It was a great experience to see my work on television as you came home each evening, but I had to drop the precious attitude I had towards my work quickly in favour of a "we have 3 minutes - bung some gaffa on it - it'll look fine on tv" approach.





Posted on 10/12