We developed these as part of the BBC2.0 project. I’ve been meaning to publish them for a while since they were signed off by the BBC board. They’re perpetually draft.
1. Build web products that meet audience needs: anticipate needs not yet fully articulated by audiences, then meet them with products that set new standards. (nicked from Google)2. The very best websites do one thing really, really well: do less, but execute perfectly. (again, nicked from Google, with a tip of the hat to Jason Fried)
3. Do not attempt to do everything yourselves: link to other high-quality sites instead. Your users will thank you. Use other people’s content and tools to enhance your site, and vice versa.4. Fall forward, fast: make many small bets, iterate wildly, back successes, kill failures, fast.
5. Treat the entire web as a creative canvas: don’t restrict your creativity to your own site.
6. The web is a conversation. Join in: Adopt a relaxed, conversational tone. Admit your mistakes.
7. Any website is only as good as its worst page: Ensure best practice editorial processes are adopted and adhered to.
8. Make sure all your content can be linked to, forever.9. Remember your granny won’t ever use “Second Life”: She may come online soon, with very different needs from early-adopters.
10. Maximise routes to content: Develop as many aggregations of content about people, places, topics, channels, networks & time as possible. Optimise your site to rank high in Google.
11. Consistent design and navigation needn’t mean one-size-fits-all: Users should always know they’re on one of your websites, even if they all look very different. Most importantly of all, they know they won’t ever get lost.
12. Accessibility is not an optional extra: Sites designed that way from the ground up work better for all users
13. Let people paste your content on the walls of their virtual homes: Encourage users to take nuggets of content away with them, with links back to your site
14. Link to discussions on the web, don’t host them: Only host web-based discussions where there is a clear rationale
15. Personalisation should be unobtrusive, elegant and transparent: After all, it’s your users’ data. Best respect it.
Comments (5)
very smart =)
Posted by dertyhiyu | May 8, 2007 2:44 AM
Posted on May 8, 2007 02:44
I have been intrigued by web 2.0 in terms what it means (and could mean) for business strategy of firms as they transition to a global network world. Media and entertainment is a particularly exciting sphere and I found BBC 2.0 initiative to be an inspired vision. These 15 principles seem to capture the spirit of the shift... I have not found much discussion of how things are evolving subsequent to the 2006 speech. I hope it is moving along well. Would love to read periodic updates on it on here. Good Luck.
Posted by N. Venkatraman | May 26, 2007 11:20 AM
Posted on May 26, 2007 11:20
Given that I got here from a BBC site about future media, with a link called:
"The BBC has recently developed 15 web pinciples for bbc.co.uk going forward"
How can you say that the content is your view and not those of the BBC?
And what is a 'pinciple' anyway?)
;-)
Posted by Derek Biddle | May 31, 2007 8:11 PM
Posted on May 31, 2007 20:11
Thanks for posting these - an interesting read. Most website owners would do well by reading, and in many cases, adhering to, these principles.
Posted by BostonScott | July 2, 2007 3:40 PM
Posted on July 2, 2007 15:40
Hi Tom
using this in my work (egov) and - bang! - first up, number one problem is an intro needed: this isn't pick'n'mix! Number two gets a lot more attention than number twelve.
thanks for posting this, it's extremely useful because the Beeb has 'resonance' :}
paul canning
Posted by paul canning | July 18, 2007 7:30 PM
Posted on July 18, 2007 19:30