BBC Blog Network – from consulting to final implementation
Over the last two years Headshift has provided strategic and technical consulting, information architecture, design and implementation services for the complete re-launch of the BBC’s public blog network – one of the largest on the web. The process has gone through severalstages and we are currently completing the final implementation.

Upgrading infrastructure
The first stage of work saw us advising on and implementing an improvedinfrastructure model. This was done withthe expectation of the BBC Blog Network growing extensively in the immediateand more distant future.

Consultation on usability and information architecture
In a comprehensive consulting piece, Headshift reviewed the existingblog platform and all of the available trial data including technicalfeedback, usage logs, editorial feedback, and feedback from users inworkshops and at a user event.

Based on the review of data and feedback, we provided acomprehensive report on lessons to take forward into the liveservice. We also made further recommendations on the choice oftechnical platform, as well as additional editorial criteria for commissioning anddecommissioning blogs.

Implementation
Headshift is currently working with the BBC to implement the newblogging platform according to the findings of our research and thefeedback from the BBC’s editorial teams. This includes changingand refining templates on around 200 blogs.