Client: BBC
BBC.com’s subscription launched in 2025, and this project was its next evolution, focused on the paywall gate: the moment readers are asked to subscribe to keep reading, watching or listening. It began as an iterative refresh of the existing gate; however, after early reviews, stakeholders asked for something much bolder. The work became a full redesign with a new subscription look and feel, freed from many of the constraints of the original micro-branding.
A later phase focused the gate on Documentaries, using art direction and storytelling to show the range and quality of BBC.com’s content.
Involvement: UI Product Designer & Art Director
I led the visual and UI exploration. The first round refined the existing layout, and the second pushed into three bolder routes: Editorial Inspired, Trio Image and The Crown. When the UX lead went on unexpected leave midway through the project, I took on the UX responsibilities as well, carrying the work through to launch. The final design combined the new visual direction with a left-aligned content structure to improve readability and hierarchy. It was launched as an A/B test, and conversion rose from 0.036% to 0.045%, a 26% uplift. 🚀
For the documentary phase, I set the art direction and developed concepts including The Pullout, Devices and The Mosaic. The Mosaic used artwork from the branding team to create a richer, content-led gate that reflected the value of what sits behind the paywall. Throughout, I handled concept development, stakeholder reviews and design handover, working closely with the experimentation and strategy teams.
