The Right Behavior Helps HBO Design Its Sites

How do you design a successful collateral Web site?

For HBO, the process includes working with outside Web designers from the beginning of production to find the key emotional themes in a show or series, then creating content as the series or special is produced.

Jeff Piazza, principal and creative director of Behavior Design, the New York firm behind Web sites for Carnivale, Deadwood, In Treatment and the John Adams miniseries, said his firm comes up with questions for actors, directors and other professionals that help shape the content of a show's site.

The designers have learned from each project what complements a particular show best.

For instance, the Deadwood site addressed the series' die-hard fans with in-depth information about getting the show's historic look right.