BBC Janala (“Window”)

BBC Janala was launched nationwide in October 2009 and will run for nine years. Teams visited remote Bangladeshi regions to demonstrate the service using laptops with wireless internet connections and mobile handsets.

The ident top and tails all other content and parts of the service, allowing the target audience to understand that programes like BBC Buzz and Bishaash are delivered as part of the BBC Janala offering. The ident is also used to brand video content released online and on CDs.

Comprehensive guidelines cover the story of positioning the service through to how to implement the service consistently across all channels.

Mobile phone learning soon became the clear front running channel for the serve.

Illustrations were developed to be used across communications. They have a humorous and irreverent tone. Can Tuk Tuks fly? Can men ride tigers? Of course not. The illustrations were accompanied with the strap line 'You can do it if you want to'.

Using the brand guidelines, advertising agency GREY produced a range of outputs to promote the brand and the component parts of the service throughout Bangladesh.

Each page of the website is 45k to download so the content is accessible to people using slow internet connections – more than 50% of internet users in Bangladesh are struggling with speeds of 14k or less in rural locations. Users can access learning content for free, create profiles, upload images and interact with other learners both in Bangladesh and around the world. Audio and video content is syndicated on sites such as Facebook to YouTube. Colour coded icons identify different learning content allowing for particular parts of the service to link offline and online.

Close collaboration was required with the BBC WST in both London and Bangladesh for the duration of the project. This started with brand, educational and technology workshops. They utilised different activities to engage key BBC staff working across the service. The activities helped shine light into their early perceptions of where they thought the brand should be positioned. It also enabled them to start understanding the core principles of the processes involved to deliver the brand.

The design development process put the users centre stage through focus groups and more than 100 hours of one-to-one user testing. A planned iterative process allowed users to steer the direction of the design so that it connected and appealed to them. The final logo represents optimistic and positive values. The blue and red blocks are window shutters opening (shutters are common place across Bangladesh) with light rays shining out, a new day with new opportunities.

Quotes from the final phases of user testing included "It’s a window where people can see the world outside and get into something new","The image of the sunlight – it’s something which will lighten my life", “This logo has the image of change – it is bringing change to life”, “The light represents knowledge – the more I learn, the more my windows are opening” and “It’s the light of education – the logo will bring change through learning”.

Mark and the senior strategic consultant accompanied the BBC for field research in Bangladesh. Over 1000 photographs were taken over the course of the trip. They focused on lifestyle, communications and internet facilities. These images were then categorised back in London with a Bangladeshi SME and formed the basis of a 'Communications Report' that was constantly referenced during brand development.

Microsite design for BBC Buzz, a youth entertainment show where young bilingual hosts present features celebrating the best of life in Bangladesh in both Bangla and English.