Posts Tagged Box UK
Box UK and the BBC – the beginning!
Over the last week or two we’ve started work on the initial stages of our project with the BBC, which we’ll be keeping you up to date with over the next couple of months.
The initial stages will be very much R&D related and will involve experimenting with the BBC’s existing data. One of the issues that we’ll need to deal with is coming up with amazing, sexy but useful applications that users won’t be able to live without. Dan’s previous posts go to show some of the scope that can be covered with just travel data.
When we were picked to take part in the Labs we went in thinking that, by restricting ourselves to just looking at travel data , that we had a fairly limited scope, and I’m happy to admit that there was a slight feeling of jealousy at the companies sitting in the room with us talking about ARGs and interactive television shows.
However, when we sat down and started looking at the sheer amount and variety of travel data that’s available, the platforms and media that it can be pushed out on to, and the other data that can be mashed with it, we’ve come to realise that there is huge potential to develop applications that are sophisticated, fun, useful and visually stimulating… and we’re getting very excited about the whole thing!
So we’re going to regularly write about all the cool stuff we’re doing and if you have any thoughts or comments along the way please let us know…
*** Claire
1 comment July 15, 2008
Life beyond the Labs
So we’re back in the office following our successful week at the labs and are looking forward to our first formal meeting with the BBC.
We’re really excited that we’re getting to work with the BBC, especially as we’ve got a chance to get involved with Mashed which is a really cool innovation day that the BBC are running at Alexandra Palace on 21 June. We think that events like Mashed are a really great way to not only do cool stuff but also to meet other people within the web industry.
Last week was incredibly hard, but was made slightly easier by knowing some of the other companies there and at a time when social networking sites such as Facebook and Linked-In are more popular than ever, let’s make the effort to properly network, not just though our computers!
I know this is easier said than done, having worked in the design industry for eight years I was impressed by the number and range of local events that were held for designers and marketers, there is the Bi-lingual Design Awards, Cardiff Design Festival, regional CIM meet-ups to name a few… but since I moved into the web, local events are few and far between, and recognition for Welsh companies working in the web is virtually non-existent. When was the last time somebody gave an award for the best code, best management of a project or best user journey? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that designers get the recognition that they deserve, but how about a nod in the direction of those who are involved behind the scenes as well?
Now that that section of the rant is over I’m going to end on a positive note. So that we can do our bit for people who are involved in the web in South Wales, we have just organised the next Cardiff Web-Scene Meet-up for the evening of Wednesday June 4. For those that haven’t been before it’s a very casual get together, not just for developers, but for anyone who is involved or has an interest in the web.
For the last meet-up we changed the format slightly and had a couple of 5 minute speakers (these were Mark Boulton who talked about Typography and Dan Zambonini – Box UK’s Technical Director as well as being my fellow lab rat and blog writer who talked about 19 interesting things that he’d discovered recently). This seemed to go down quite well so we’d like to do the same again and we’re looking for volunteers! If you’ve got something interesting that you’d like to talk about, please get in touch.
The venue is to be confirmed, but you can join the Facebook group to stay up to date or look out for the next blog post, but keep the date free and hopefully we’ll see you on Wednesday June 4.
*** Claire
Add comment May 7, 2008
A bit of background…
In November 2007, an elite team of two from Box UK attended the BBC Innovation Labs Launch day in Cardiff.
The BBC Labs are a series of creative workshops aimed at independent media companies with a track record of producing innovative new media & vision products. Split into 4 regions, each workshop offers ten companies an opportunity to work with BBC commissioners and other mentors during an intensive 5-day period to develop an idea and prepare a final pitch.
On 31 January 2008 Box UK submitted a series of proposals which competed with over 250 applications submitted UK wide for one of the coveted 40 workshop places.
Finally on Tuesday 4 March, after much page refreshing on our part, the nail biting was over when the BBC announced that we were one of the winners of the Wales and West Midlands lab.
We are overjoyed at getting such a fantastic opportunity and thought we’d use this blog to track our progress through fine tuning the idea and taking part in the labs. So, the question now is how do we make our idea so utterly fantastic that the BBC can’t refuse…
*** Claire
Add comment March 12, 2008
