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For those who have mastered the art of Instagram Live and seen an audience boost, it can be tempting to seek out an even bigger platform, whether it’s appearing on TV, a show on Netflix or Hulu, or a popular YouTube series. After all, video affords designers plenty of opportunities to showcase their craft, elevate their public presence, and connect with a wider client base. Sounds like a pretty fabulous setup, right? But, as designers-turned-TV personalities note, appearing on-screen in a professional capacity involves far more than glamour shots and emails from adoring fans. We spoke with four pros who shared what to expect along the way. Here’s what you need to know.
There’s little room for downtime or client work
Los Angeles designer Peti Lau was a member of HGTV Design Star: Next Gen. Having grown up a performer—she was an opera singer in a past life—Lau admits that deep down, she always had a longing to appear on-screen. “I just didn’t expect to get on TV as an adult and [through] the career that I ended up with, being an interior designer,” she says. While filming Design Star, Lau was on-call constantly. “You don’t really have the energy to be doing anything else except the task that’s in front of you,” she says. “By the time you get back home or to your hotel room, you are so exhausted that you don’t have much energy to do anything but rest. There’s really not much time to do work outside of being on set and filming.”
You’ll want to showcase a vibrant, authentic personality
Lau says that anyone who has “a lot of personality” makes for an ideal candidate to appear on TV. “I mean by that someone who has a point of view… Is gracious, funny, and distinctively [a] unique character. Because that’s what the audience is really going to feel and connect with through that camera lens.”
Sean Anderson was recruited by a director to appear on an episode of Point of View on Discovery Plus’s Magnolia Network. “I figured if I were ever going to foray into television, this would be as good a chance as any to get my feet wet,” he says. Like Lau, Anderson found that conveying a genuine persona while recording was paramount. “I think a big part of being successful on television is being authentic and confident in sharing your point of view and finding your voice,” he says. “Authenticity resonates with people.”
Yet, in the same vein, one must be comfortable opening up long before the cameras start rolling. “You need to make sure that you are ready, and that you know who you are as a designer and feel very confident in your voice and work,” says Tosin Oshinowo, who appeared in the African Netflix documentary Made by Design. “This process exposes a lot about your life, work, and personality, and you need to be ready to really let the general public into that intimate space.”
And one must be able to maintain a cheerful, gracious persona even once a show is off the air, says Thom Filicia, who has appeared on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Style Network, HGTV, and most recently Bravo’s Get a Room With Carson & Thom. “You have to look at yourself as a person and understand who you are,” he says. “Are you a person that is going to be able to enjoy the process of being recognizable... Because not everybody is comfortable with that reality.” After all, Filicia notes, it’s important to be “appreciative and understanding” when talking to viewers, being asked to pose for pictures, and running into fans at the airport for example.
Know that creating for the camera is its own art
While presenting as one’s genuine self is key, a designer will still have to adapt to the constraints of the camera. On-screen, the design process looks a lot different than it does in an office. “As a designer in real life, the objective is to make the client happy and help them translate and manifest their dreams into a real space,” Peti Lau says. “In the TV world, you are there to be filmed, to create content for the camera. It’s all very fast, not real, and it’s like set designing.”
Public feedback will vary
Lau notes that appearing on TV certainly led to increased media attention. But, she explains, “My clients don’t really care if I’ve been on TV or not. I think the important thing is that I continue to do really good work.” In fact, in some cases, designers who have appeared on television may have to prove themselves even further to clients, Thom Filicia notes. “There used to be a stigma that TV designers were hosts more than they were designers,” he says. “I think that’s changed over time, but there are a lot of people who still maybe have that assessment, so you have to understand your business model.” Proving one’s talent and skill set beyond solely what is conveyed on TV can become critical, Filicia says.
Ultimately, though, these design personalities most definitely haven’t gone unnoticed. “People from all over are reaching out sharing how they felt the episode connected with them or inspired them to take a risk,” Sean Anderson says. “I didn’t know what the feedback would be going into this, but it has been amazing hearing how much people enjoy the work.”