BBC

It became clear that different genres responded better to moments of interruption. A gripping drama for example didn't warrant as much interruption as a live broadcast of the Strictly final for example.

We looked at differing mental models from lean back to lean forward, actively engaging users with second screen content.

Looking back at the project there were some smart ideas in there. Cooking and recipes were a real highlight but the volume and quality of content to keep it engaging was never really there.

It would look great in our mock-ups but once you got to understand the limits of what we could pull back in real time you realised that the aspirations were great but the reality would never match them. With fresh eyes and the benefit of hindsight I suspect that the world of social media is where the real second screen experiences happen.

I fought to keep the project alive, it wasn't suffering at the hands of users but more the internal politics of the BBC itself. Companion reached across product silo's which in itself stepped on toes. Push back was more around who owned it that the actual feedback and concept itself.

In retrospect the project was a great experience in resilience, not all projects go the way you want them to go and that's fine.

I remember being asked by a Creative Director if I was simply "in love with my own idea." At the time it stung but only in that it was true, I am always passionate about the work I create but now I feel I'm much better at removing emotions from judging the merit of a project. The cold hard facts are do users want or need this?... in the case of Companion, it was no.