User Vision selected by BBC's Innovation Labs

User Vision, one of Europe’s leading usability specialists, has won a place in the BBC’s Innovation Labs. User Vision, in partnership with their associate Jonathan Marshall, is one of 40 companies to be selected from 250 applications.

The Innovation Labs are a series of creative workshops for interdisciplinary teams of independent new media and technology companies from across England, Scotland and Wales.

User Vision has been selected to take part in the Interactive TV lab to develop a Cross Media Zoomable User Interface.
Users of interactive TV are wanting to better control the way they watch digital media, yet at the same time they are able to access this through an increasing number of platforms. Furthermore Web 2.0 has transformed expectations to allow users to share and discuss media with friends.

The project will explore intuitive ways to enable this interaction and increase user engagement and enjoyment with interactive television content.

User Vision will help to develop user-centred TV screen and EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) interaction design that support choice, control and findability in an increasingly complex environment. Jonathan Marshall’s experience with interactive TV technologies will help ensure the ideas from the Innovation Lab can be realised and are appropriate for the BBC’s audience.

Chris Rourke, User Vision MD explains: “It is a fantastic honour for us, to be working with some of the country’s leading new media and vision specialists. Making interactive TV easy to use is a massive challenge and one that we are eager to meet.”

Jonathan Marshall comments: "It is an exciting challenge to bring together my skills of designing and building interactive services with UserVision's Usability experience."

Professional creative technologists, application designers, software developers and interactive media designers, working across both future media & vision platforms pitched ideas in response to briefs set by New Media & Vision commissioners across the BBC.

Ten projects in each of four regions across the UK have been selected to attend a five-day Lab. During the Lab from March 10 - 14, User Vision will work with BBC commissioners and other mentors to develop its idea and prepare a final pitch. On the last day of the Lab, the ideas will be pitched to the BBC commissioners for further development funding.

The Labs are aimed at independent media companies with a track record of producing innovative new media & vision products. As the BBC aims to commission further development of prototypes selected for the Labs, it expects projects to come from established teams with the capacity to deliver projects at scale.

For more information about all the Scottish Region winners please go to: http://open.bbc.co.uk/labs/blog/2008/02/scotland_lab_places.php

www.uservision.co.uk

For more information contact: Chris Welton :: 0131 225 7880 :: 079 68 102 808 ::

chris@hottinroof.co.uk

ABOUT USER VISION

User Vision is one of Europe’s leading independent user experience consultancies, specialising in usability testing, web accessibility, eye tracking, user needs assessments and expert usability evaluations. The company tests and improves usability across many platforms including websites, interactive TV, software, mobile phones and keyboards. As well as offline advertising, TV commercials, shop layouts and computer games.

At the heart of User Vision’s work lies the basic concept that a product that is easy to use gives a business competitive advantage. The company takes a straightforward, practical approach to user needs analysis, problem solving and usability testing, leading to effective design solutions.

Launched in 2000, User Vision has grown organically and remains free from venture capital. The company has pioneered usability and accessibility for many years working with organisations like the BBC, HSBC, Nokia and the DTI. Operating internationally in Dubai, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the UK and Ireland, User Vision is a powerful, independent force in usability and accessibility.

www.uservision.co.uk


About Jonathan Marshall

Jonathan Marshall is one of the key technical strategists in the field of interactive TV, having led the development of the BBC's first ground-breaking services on DTT and Digital Satellite.

Jonathan started his career at the BBC in 1991 as a recording engineer for BBC Scotland. He then left to complete a degree in Electronics and Music followed by a Masters in French and management. By combining these skills he worked in Paris for IRCAM designing and implementing Digital Music Workstations for contemporary composers and performers to use.

Jonathan rejoined the BBC in 1996 working firstly on DAB and then Digital Television for the Research and Development department at Kingswood Warren. It was here that he developed world's first interactive TV broadcasts in MHEG. In 1999 Jonathan joined the newly-created BBC Interactive TV department at Bush House, where he worked with the technical team in delivering a whole raft of services, including the ground-breaking Wimbledon Interactive and Digital Text (the first version of the BBC's 24/7 services) on the Sky platform. This work cemented his reputation as one of the key technical strategists in the interactive TV field. Jonathan went on to become BBC Interactive TV's main technical interface for all third party software providers, testing and appraising their products, and giving him an unrivalled knowledge of the interactive TV tools market.

Jonathan now works in Scotland as a composer and freelance Technical Development Producer, concentrating on technical developments to enable companies to deliver world class interactive services.

This release was published on openPR.