I was first taken on as a Graphic Designer within 'BBC Resources' (Basically a pool of design resource that could be accessed by all departments within the BBC) and then moved on to News & Weather, where I was the sole multimedia designer on the Weather team at the time of the biggest Graphics update the department had undertaken since moving from magnets on maps to digital methods....
I was proud to be a part of the team that created an entirely new look for weather maps and introduced a completely new system for producing weather forecasts at the BBC.
My colleague Mike Afford and team, transformed the Broadcast graphics system - Layers of Met Office weather data displayed over true 3D maps using the New Zealand ‘Weatherscape’ system adapted specially for the BBC. Weather data was shared across all the BBC regional centres as well as online outlets and 3D broadcast graphics were all rendered in real-time for the first time.
The BBC Weather graphics picked up a BDA award in the category ‘Information Graphics’ at the BDA World Gold Finals 2006.
My role was to take the new look and the vastly improved amounts of data available and transform the interactive elements the weather department offered, including the incredibly well visited BBC Website as well as all the emerging digital TV platforms that were beginning to become popular at the time. I was also responsible for the online output of all Weather related educational segments that appeared on the BBC Weather website including the development of many animated sequences and small interactive games, built in 'Flash'.
I created an interactive experience for BBC Archives that included access to archived audio, video and interactive elements through use of an animated 'boxhead' character, whose box head spun around according to which direction he was travelling and whose clothes were made up entirely of old newspapers and painted materials. The box head was controlled by the users mouse and the character would walk or run according to direction and speed of the users interactions.
I was proud to be a part of the graphics team at the time when the BBC undertook a massive transformation of it's entire weather system.
My role was incorporating the new updates into all interactive platforms.
BBC Resources was one of the very few departments at the BBC who could take on commercial projects. I was lead designer and animator on one such project which was an animated, interactive Quiz game commissioned by Britannic Assurance.
I was the lead designer on the Only Fools and Horses Interactive products. The look and feel of the game had to be led by the kitsch styling of the TV show and included all the well known characters.