BBC Widgets
Rebooting the BBC
Introducing 'BBC Widgets'
"Throw out the existing expectations, limitations and assumptions," launched fireworks for me -- rather than simply remixing existing content into a new design, I spent some time thinking about how the homepage might look if the BBC were to inject an innovative new wave of exciting content and services.
My proposed redesign introduces a rich, dynamic media experience without compromising the existing information architecture or underlying content. I feel that the emphasis should be on improving the BBC's service, not rebuilding it from the ground up. As such, my reboot caters equally for those who want a cutting-edge customisable service, or for the occasional or first-time visitors.
The reboot is based on 3 principles:
1) The web is not a one-way medium
Let's open up a conversation with the people of Britain and actively encourage user-generated content. Following the lead of US-based services such as Current TV, "Your Shout" is a showcase of user-submitted short films, documentaries, blog- and podcast-style content, that can be submitted, watched and voted for by the public. The winner of each weeks round gets a well-deserved slot on the BBC homepage.
2) The web is an information platform
The BBC homepage should be more than just a website -- it should be an information platform, with the tools to contribute, share and discover great new content. My proposed design turns the site from a relatively static, point-click-wait experience to a diverse, rich media environment using a next-generation array of mini applications or 'widgets.' Key to this would be an open API allowing all-comers to submit their own mini applications. This would allow the homepage to grow and evolve faster than ever before, and keep pace with existing trends and new developments in web services.
Want to view your Flickr photos from the BBC homepage? No problem - just grab that user-submitted Flickr widget. Want to subscribe to feeds from another site? Use the Feed widget. Want to check or tag bookmarks from your del.icio.us accout? Just use the Delicious widget. The possibilities are endless -- developers and dabblers across the world will have a great new outlet for their talent.
The widgets in my mockup are an example of a customised page, and represent just one of several hundred possible configurations. Of course, the BBC could choose a default configuration of widgets that new users would see. From there on, visitors would customise their experience as they see fit.
3) Customisation is key
Everyone uses the web differently, so it's important that they're able to express this and customise the homepage to their own taste. The homepage of bite-sized widgets can be fully adapted to suit the needs of a diverse and evolving user base. By maintaining a grid structure instead of a freeform one, we don't degrade the experience or confuse the userbase with "windows inside windows."
In addition to adhering to the above principles, I've also injected some fresh services:
The 'iPlayer Mini'
The BBC's Media Player on steroids. The iPlayer Mini is a compact, embedded version of the recently trailed 'MyBBCPlayer'. It will transform web browsers across the country into new age TV sets by allowing UK residents to watch broadcasts the same day they air, or 'record' shows to store in their personal library to watch later. In addition, the iPlayer Mini will be a gateway to the BBC's huge library of archived content.
'Geotagging' -- live, roaming news and events from across the nation
BBC Geotagging is an amazing new service that wires millions of remote users directly into a central nervous system of news and events. By mashing Google Maps with content submitted by the public, the BBC Geotag panel would display a live billboard of content submitted by the public using mobile phones and PDAs from anywhere in the UK.
Discovered a great show at your local theatre tonight? Geotag it! Stuck in a traffic jam on the M1? Geotag it! Want to set up an impromptu gig and tell local music lovers? Geotag that too. Geotagging physically tags your location on the BBC's Geotag map with a glowing dot, and attaches the information you send along with your tag. Visitors to the site can search for tags by event type, date or location or a combination of all three. Users can choose to tag events as private (so that only their close circle of friends are notified) or make them public to shout it out to the whole nation! Geotagging will revolutionise the way communities interact, and empower the British public with an exciting new communication tool.
Design Philosophy
Clean, authoritative but friendly. I chose to respect the existing brand by simply remixing the "one true logo" and making use of Gill Sans where possible. My mockup is intended for those with larger screens, but would employ a flexible column-based layout were it to be built for real.
A Flexible Layout
There are hundreds of ways to access web content, so how do we design for all of them? Although it's not implemented in my mockup, the design underpinning my reboot would employ a flexible modular layout with columns that adjust to fit your screen size. Bought a fancy new widescreen monitor? No problem - we'll serve it up to you four columns wide. (You bought it widescreen for a reason, right?) Viewing from a more modest screen? That's ok - we'll just use two or three columns. Browsing on your PDA or phone? That's great too - we can show you one column. Flexible design makes for a more accessible site, which means happier users.
Closing thoughts
"Finally, let us know what you'd do to improve the service if only you had the time/money"
The BBC's UK homepage presents a fantastic range of opportunities and some wonderful challenges. Given the time and money, I would invest it in evolving the existing content into the world's greatest online information platform -- one that users can feel good about investing their own time and emotions into. As more of us move from the sofa to the keyboard, the BBC site must be ready to accept us into a community-based service that will become a figurehead and benchmark for broadcast networks across the globe.
- 25 May 2006 15:20
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