|
| Foocha! is a non-profit Web site. We do it for kicks, not for cash. If you're interested in writing for the site, click here |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
| Media,
Graham Bower,
02:00:00,
08 October 2001 |
Rating: F1
|
|
| |
| |
|
Watching the BBC’s Web presences evolve is a bit like watching your granny learn to do gangster rap. She might have plenty of enthusiasm, but somehow you sense the mo-fo is never going to cut it.
But evolve the BBC’s site has, to the point now where it is a leading online news service, providing banner ad-free news to the world at the expense of the long suffering British TV license fee payer. And in today’s troubled times, news sites are more important than ever.
No one understands this better than Max Gadney, Head of Design at BBC News Online who’s bizarre stated ambition is “to explain to a child on a kid’s news site why Loyalists don’t like Catholics.” (CreateOnline 11/01). Well Max, if you can explain that in a 300x200 GIF, then you’re one step ahead of the rest of us.
Whilst Max’s vision of delivering world peace via JPEG compression may be a little over ambitious, his efforts have not been going unnoticed. NTK (www.ntk.net) the weekly high-tech sarcastic update for the UK has been highlighting the worst of Max’s atrocities over the past few weeks, some of which can be seen to the left.
The BBC’s news coverage is fantastic – it’s such a shame to have such a high quality service marred by such moronic, and mundane images (sorry to start sound like Brian Sewell there). Still I guess they are good for a laugh. There best ones are to be found in the “Sci/Tech” section – where literal interpretation takes on a whole new meaning. Some illustrations remind me of the ITV game show “Catch Phrase” where a popular phrase or saying was illustrated by Mr Babbage the Super Computer (or was that Family Fortunes?) An excellent example of this was their recent story “Are computer virus’s unstoppable?” where Max’s design team chose to illustrate a hand reaching out of a computer screen gesturing “stop” to some giant 3D yellow letters spelling “VIRUS”. Classy.
But even Max has some limits. When CreateOnline recently asked Max if he was ever tempted to illustrate plane crash stories with icons of explosions and smoke and he explained “You could easily do it, but it wouldn’t be right.” Thank heavens for small mercies.
news.bbc.co.uk
For more info visit www.ntk.net
Top Home |
|
|
|
|
