New Blood Entry — BBC Mix

The challenge stated by the D&AD New Blood brief is to use the new BBC Sounds website/app as a springboard to develop their current offering. One point they would like to extend on is how the target audience’s habitual behaviours could influence, shape and develop BBC Sounds for 16 to 35 year olds. BBC want a design that could extend beyond their current scope.

We must consider how the BBC want to differentiate themselves among competition from streaming giants like Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, etc. Consideration must also be given regarding how much focus we should put on different aspects of the service; music, podcasts, and live radio all play a part in the app’s current iteration. Choosing a direction to expand off of must be in line with the goals of the BBC and with the desires and behaviours of their young target audience.

We considered a variety of features implemented by other streaming services as our starting point, but ultimately came to the conclusion that the goals of these services differ from those of the BBC. As an institution which aims to serve the public, the BBC cares about the wellbeing of its listeners, and we think the solution to this brief should reflect this ideal.

This led us to BBC Mix, a daily assortment of programming curated to the listener’s time, allowing them to stay informed in a less demanding way. By splitting current programming into short radio and podcast snippets best suited to listener tastes, BBC Mix will keep people up to date quickly and comprehensively. People will know they’re making the most of their time with the best content available.