We've recently introduced global, channel and broadcaster-specific A-Z listings within the site, all of which make scooting around the site a bit easier, assuming you've remembered the name of the show you're looking for correctly.
Getting to this point seemed to take forever, because by their nature A-Zs can bite you on the bottom. Particularly if you've not got a lot of content and half the list is greyed out, which tends to make people nervous.
I was reminded of this phenomena whilst playing with the new iPlayer today, and specifically their new listings user interface.
To be honest I quite like the new site, bringing all the social media widgets to the fore is a massive bonus, and whilst feeling a little bit scattergun with all the different brands and programmes competing on the homepage, it felt much more alive than before. Rufus Hound showing me how to use it though? He can do one...
Anyway, back to the point in hand - the listings UI which is frankly awful. It's always been there lurking in the background as an alternative to the A-Z, but now it's the only way you can browse the site outside of searching. Which is fine if you not only know what the show was called, but when it was on, at what time and on what channel.
Is it me or is that totally bonkers?
- You lose some of the serendipitous nature of browsing, although admittedly not much because the listings still throw odd programmes together;
- Suddenly you have a very good idea how thin the schedules are;
- Based on the What-When-Where formula you know have to invoke, it is now much more complicated to find what you want.
Today alone there were four repeats of Hancock's Half Hour, three Poirots, three Huddwinks, three Rogue Justice(s), three Millports, and two repeats of The Brightonomicon. Now, given Radio 7 pretty much is a channel of repeats this wouldn't bother the regular listener, but to a new user the output looks very thin, and if you were a regulator it wouldn't appear an amazing use of License Fee.
Also if I wanted to listen to the Samuel Beckett installment of spoof arts programme Mightier than the Sword, I'd have to know it was only today, at 3pm.
If that example sounds a bit unlikely, you try finding the Batcat episode of Charlie and Lola at half six this morning, and having to explain why it's taking so long to a wailing toddler...