The BBC has updated its news website, with a new layout, extra video features and tools that let readers link stories to Facebook and Twitter. The broadcaster said it had used ideas submitted from the public in order to research the redesign. The redesigned BBC News website, features integration with sites such as Facebook and […]
The BBC has updated its news website, with a new layout, extra video features and tools that let readers link stories to Facebook and Twitter. The broadcaster said it had used ideas submitted from the public in order to research the redesign.
The redesigned BBC News website, features integration with sites such as Facebook and Twitter, making it easier to share stories with friends. The main menu has moved to the top of the page and there is more emphasis on the stories the BBC considers to be the most important. There are more video stories and the new video player is bigger, with improved playback quality.
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“We talked to audience groups, held one-to-one user testing sessions, and invited several thousand of you to try out a prototype version of today’s new design. With this feedback, we arrived at the design you see today,” said Steve Herrmann, editor of the BBC News website.
As well as the BBC News homepage, individual story pages have also been changed.
“Our story pages are now arranged so that those who arrive at the site directly into a story are offered a selection of top content from across the news website and content related to a given story is now in context within the story body, and at the end of the story,” Hermann said.
Commenting on the redesign, David Donnan, Director at digital agency MSG, said: “The BBC News website redesign is certainly more of an evolution rather than revolution. It does tick the right boxes when it comes to web design in that there is now more white space, more video and the ability to share news content across more social networking channels than previously.
“But in many ways I was expecting more and for it to be more exciting. It remains up for debate whether budget cuts across the BBC had an impact or it simply didn’t want to incur the wrath of loyal readers who don’t like significant change. That said the BBC remains the best news site on the web and, with more sites looking to charge for content, that can only be positive for web surfers everywhere.”
