You can view the BBC demo of the Worldwide Listener App here

Introducing BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the international and commercial arm of the BBC. It is BBC Worldwide’s brief to take prime BBC content to an international audience in a commercial nature. BBC Worldwide approached the OTHER media as experts in the design and build of iPhone applications.

The challenge

BBC Worldwide wished to launch the ‘BBC Listener’ iPhone App to allow people living outside the UK to listen to a wide range of BBC radio programmes on their iPhone. This was the first App to be produced for the BBC’s commercial arm and was to bring iPlayer functionality to a global audience. This meant the project was a test bed for the BBC, and as such the project was under high profile scrutiny.

What we did

the OTHER media designed a beautiful ‘BBC Listener’ App that offers up to 20 new programmes each week alongside a large archive that will include popular shows such as 'Start the Week', 'From Our Own Correspondent', 'In Our Time' and Radio 4’s longest-running series, 'Desert Island Discs'. Features on the App include ‘latest’ and ‘popular’ buttons and the option to select content by genre or search using keywords. The retro style radio tuner was designed and devised and developed by the OTHER media as a fun, alternative way to navigate the content.

The results

The design of the App, particularly the rotated ‘tuner’ view, has generated amazing feedback. The App has had downloads over expectation, and bearing in mind this is does not cover the UK audience, this is a phenomenal success. The App has been placed on the shortlist for the 2011 D&AD Award for Digital Design.