HW’s creative director, Kari Mulholland, worked with TED’s media team to shape the TED Talk into the format that became central to TED’s brand. Collaborating closely with speakers, she edited thousands of Talks.
During TED.com’s first decade, the internet matured, streaming video became ubiquitous and TED.com grew into a widely recognized platform. Over that time, the Talk evolved through an emergent process, shaped by speakers referencing earlier Talks, by audience expectations that shifted as online media developed, and by the growing use of metrics and analytics to measure success. Out of these forces, a set of recognizable TED Talk qualities emerged. This moment gave Kari a rare front-row view of how evolving technologies shape narrative form, and a chance to help define a pivotal chapter in TED’s history.
In this article, Kari describes the editing and aesthetic choices behind a great TED Talk. TEDx speakers and organizers still tell her they use it as a guide.
