Innovation By Conservativism
For our design, we didn't want to proceed down the route of "web 2.0", or offering technology that only 50% of users could use, or incorporating anything bandwidth heavy such as video or doing anything either than what the BBC home page is - a portal to other areas of the BBC website. We have kept the height of the website, along with the width to approximately the same of the current design in order for scrolling to not be an issue, and all of the information, whilst being made up of large, accessible font, is right in front of the user without needlessly searching.
To tamper too much with such a familiar and well loved site would discourage people from using it, and too much change would reduce the impact of the design. Because of this, offering additional information on the home page, such as video, radio, links to other websites, seems to fail the actual purpose behind the site.
Our design takes the very foundations of the existing design, and whilst not replacing it, further enhances it to bring a more friendly feeling to the website, that instantly separates the main categories and allows you to find what you're looking for. It combines the use of text and images, not only to increase the appeal, but divert the users eye to the most important areas the moment the page begins to load.
With the current design, we felt that certain areas are not highlighted enough, so we accentuated their presence with a more obvious colour scheme, which presents the user with the main information, and later on, via the right-hand side, their own information. For example, if they have been browsing Kids Zone frequently, the bottom-right of the BBC home page alters to reflect this change for them. If you're a fan of Bitsize, the same will apply again - therefore giving the user a quick, easy access to their favourite areas, without having to type in the full extension of the domain name each time.
The main images above the categories will change depending on the situation, and, the main image of the weather will vary (naturally, depending on the weather), so people can get instant visual feedback on the state of weather for that day, and then further investigate it with the information below, along with having an indication of what the stories are referring to. The search has been tied more into the design, and, once again, bought more to the attention of the user, so it fits well into the existing design, but is obvious enough to be accessible, especially as it will focus on this section of the design as the page loads, therefore allowing the user simply to start typing, hit enter and be wherever they want to be, without the use of a mouse.
As with the existing design, the main image that the design is built around can easily be managed via a CMS, and will change as often as is required, so that it can advertise latest programs, news, sports, and, like with the "Kids Zone", concept, learn what is considered to be of importance to the user. The main image can be either Flash, or, like the existing design, JavaScript, so that images can change and offer more interactivity via the home page. For these reasons our design has been well planned, as it will allow the BBC to continue with their Content Management System and accessibility guidelines, based on font size, loading times and an overall use of CSS, not complex imagery. This means the colour scheme can be changed depending on events of that day, so that no longer does the BBC home page wish to reflect more bright, vibrant colours because of a disaster.
We wished to keep loyal to the BBC brand and existing website, but further simplify matters, instead of drastically changing what is considered one of the best and most loved web sites on the Internet. For those reasons, this is our design.
- 25 May 2006 15:26
gallery