The other big product that’s come out of the BBC User Experience Design team recently is a redesign on the homepage of bbc.co.uk. The key features include:
The page is still in beta, but you can see what you think here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/beta/
It’s been interesting reading some of the initial feedback after the first day of the flash-based iPlayer, generally it seems pretty postitive - my favourite review so far is from the Inquirer:
“Unlike the Windows Media / DRM-infested train wreck that was the initial incarnation of the player, this one uses the altogether-simpler Flash for web-based streaming of the last seven days of TV. The cross-platform Flash technology enables Mac and Linux fans to get in on the action, as well as reducing the barrier to entry for Windows fans, who previously had to jump through more hoops that a show dog in order to get the dodgy quality video.
This nullifies one of the major complaints about the original Iplayer - that Mac and Linux computer users didn’t get a discount on their licence fee, despite being treated as second class citizens by the online service. The new player appears to work quickly and simply, with no downloading of anything required as long as you have an up to date version of the Adobe software. We couldn’t find any bugs either, besides the ones on the Beeb’s nature shows.”
Although still in beta, a new version of BBC iPlayer which we’ve been working on for the last few months has been released this evening. The big changes on the previous version are that it now offers streaming flash video which will work across platforms, the sign in process has been removed so anyone in the UK can easily access it, the first step towards radio integration has been taken and the download manager has been significantly redesigned to make it simpler and easier to use.
There are still a couple of bugs, but I’m really proud of it and think the design and development team have done a really great job. So if you’re in the UK click on the link below and catch up on the last 7 days of BBC TV!
Last Saturday’s episode of Click was interesting - all about the concept of visualising radio, how it might work, pro’s and con’s etc. The argument seems to of come around due to the fact that most new devices for listening to radio these days will come with a small colour screen which will enable extra information to be broadcast alongside the audio.
On the minus side it has been claimed that this will just mean for cheap tv, but I like Andy Parfitt’s idea (head of Radio 1) of “glanceability” in that “it can’t be content that you must look at in order to get the picture” (so things that nicely supplement the audio - EPG’s, visualisations, track lists etc)
Read the article / Watch again
Our team is currently working on the new design for the BBC homepage which will be released for public beta soon. In the meantime someone sent me this great link showing the various designs from over the years - am loving the 1997 version pictured below! Link
