The graphic design of an iTV application is located at the heart of an explosive area of conflict between multiple factors with a wide range of objectives:

• Aesthetics
• Corporate identity of the network operator
• Corporate identity of the TV broadcaster
• Corporate identity of the application provider
• Homogenous (usually simple) intra-network graphics contra individual (usually pointed) application graphics
• Useability
• Advertisement effectiveness
• Simplicity contra multi-facetedness (with consideration to the often broadly diversified target groups)
• Integration with the actual TV broadcast

Telly as an output medium

ITV graphics are not online graphics copied onto the telly, nor are they non-interactive on-air graphics. Many of the fundamental design rules can be taken from the other graphic disciplines, however the graphics designer should learn to see ITV as an independent medium with its peculiarities.

• Large viewing distance, low resolution, limited depth of colour
• Varying aspect ratios and resolutions with different television sets (especially important with transparent graphics coordinated with the TV picture)
• Incomplete display of the screen in the case of poor quality televisions
• Large-scale flickering and "jumping" with large white static areas
• Flickering with thin lines and unsuitable fonts
• Lack of certainty regarding the "remote control" input medium
• Sluggish performance of the receiver unit (in terms of function, graphic output and programme selection)
• Possibility for transparent graphics and scaling the TV picture