Overview
In 2019, our Masters Capstone team tackled BBC iPlayer's challenge of declining youth viewership. At a time when Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch dominated young audiences' attention, we developed a social watching solution that bridged mobile and TV screens. Through interactive design workshops and user testing, we created features like a synchronized emoji launcher that transformed passive viewing into shared experiences, reimagining how Gen-Z audiences engage with BBC content.
Watch
Interact
& Play
with friends and family on
watchspace
Key Challenges
Why BBC iPlayer Struggles in 2019
By 2019, the streaming landscape had become fiercely competitive. Netflix had cemented its dominance with hit shows like Stranger Things and Black Mirror, while YouTube was transforming into a major entertainment platform through its creator ecosystem. Twitch was rapidly expanding beyond gaming content, and Disney+ was on the horizon. Traditional broadcasters like BBC faced a critical challenge: how to maintain relevance in a world where younger viewers were increasingly drawn to platforms offering personalized, on-demand, and interactive experiences. The shift wasn't just about content - it was about fundamentally different viewing behaviors and expectations, from binge-watching to social sharing and community engagement.
Weaknesses & Disadvantages
Lack of internationally appealing IP's
Traditional and dated TV broadcasting model
Geographical Restriction and TV licensing Model
Lack of content interactivity and social features
Live TV Streaming
Unique British content and legacy media
Effective Catchup Service
Available on multiple platforms
The Home Screen Basic Structure
The Challenge
Develop a strategy and solution to engage effectively BBC iPlayer's Younger Viewers
Conceive of a BBC iPlayer experience/product for the
Modern Audience
Wireframe Concepts
Integrated Social Viewing Experience
Initial discovery kicked off with a low-fidelity prototype reimagining BBC iPlayer through a social lens. Drawing from Gen-Z viewing behaviors, we integrated community features like voice chat and messaging that felt natural to Discord users. The prototype transformed passive viewing into active engagement - letting friends react and experience content together in real-time, while ensuring these social features enhanced rather than disrupted the core viewing experience.
Information Architecture
Emoji Launcher
Our emoji launcher concept brought playful interaction to the second-screen experience. Viewers could 'throw' emojis from their phones onto the TV screen in real-time - imagine launching a tomato at a reality show contestant! We prioritized low latency to make these interactions feel instant and satisfying. This feature tapped into how viewers naturally multitask with their phones while watching, adding a social layer that made viewing more engaging.
Mid Fidelity Prototypes
Iterative improvements
Basic flow of how the application would work
Atomic UI Design
A Physical Modular UI Workshop
Inspired by Brad Frost's Atomic Design methodology, we broke down the interface into its fundamental components. Like atoms combining to form molecules, participants used these basic UI elements to build more complex structures. This hands-on approach helped us understand how users naturally pieced together different social and viewing components, informing our systematic approach to the final interface design.
Workshop Particpation
BBC iPlayer Design Leads take part
A Success!
Our workshop with BBC iPlayer's design leads proved to be a game-changer. Getting away from screens and moving UI components around by hand sparked fresh perspectives and conversations. This tactile, collaborative approach unlocked insights we might have missed in traditional digital wireframes - proof that sometimes you need to step back from the screen to see things clearly.
Research Analysis
Aggregated Results
Heat map generated user results
Our workshop with BBC iPlayer's design leads proved to be a game-changer. Getting away from screens and moving UI components around by hand sparked fresh perspectives and conversations. This tactile, collaborative approach unlocked insights we might have missed in traditional digital wireframes - proof that sometimes you need to step back from the screen to see things clearly.
Prototypes
Cross Platform Usage
Our insights informed detailed, high-fidelity prototypes that brought the social watching concept to life. We crafted fluid interactions and polished UI elements that felt native to BBC iPlayer.
Mobile
Web
The Mobile Emoji Launcher bridged the second-screen gap, letting viewers interact with content through their phones while watching on TV. Users could quickly select and 'fling' emojis that would appear instantly on the larger screen, creating a playful layer of interaction.
Emoji Launcher Interaction Design
Our final emoji launcher design focused on perfectly synchronized, satisfying interactions between phone and TV. The launcher instantly reloads after each shot, keeping viewers engaged with snappy animations and zero lag. We designed for the natural behavior of young viewers who constantly multitask - letting them fire off reactions from their phones while watching, creating a fluid connection between both screens.