Building a Spotify-Challenger for the Next Generation
Designing the future of audio in the UK
As the lead for the live and on-demand playback environment, I was responsible for the core engine of BBC Sounds—the BBC’s most ambitious digital project to date. My mission was to replace the legacy iPlayer Radio with a sophisticated, world-class streaming platform designed to capture a younger, more engaged audience.
Market Research, Understanding & Ideation
I began by conducting deep-dive market research to benchmark the global streaming landscape against the BBC’s unique editorial heritage. By analyzing competitor trajectories, I defined a strategic roadmap that ensured our feature set was industry-leading. To translate this strategy into a unified vision, I facilitated high-intensity design sprints and workshops, acting as the strategic glue between Engineering, Editorial, Product, and Heads of Departments.
Co-Creation, Testing & Validation
To ensure the product resonated with a "discerning" audience, I moved beyond traditional testing into active co-creation. I led hands-on lab sessions where users built and iterated alongside us, revealing friction points that internal teams couldn't see. This "rinse and repeat" methodology allowed us to pivot rapidly based on real-world behavior, ensuring every design decision was rooted in user evidence rather than assumptions.
Final Deliverables & Impact
The final product represented six months of intensive development and over 50 iterations. By maintaining a rigorous cycle of refinement, I ensured the launch met the BBC’s exacting standards for quality and scale. Since launch, the environment has become the backbone of the UK's audio landscape, achieving: 2.8 Billion total audio plays. 5.1 Million weekly listeners. 15% Year-on-year increase in podcast consumption.
