This work in progress article is a really good insight into the thinking behind the redesign of the BBC's digital services. I particularly like the detail into the inspiration for the grid system from vintage Penguin book cover grids, the idea of an interwoven vertical and horizontal grid system to weave the eye around the content, the more dramatic use of typography focusing on signposting and articulation and insight into their use of 4 new carousel systems. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/02/a_new_global_visual_language_f...

The 9 Value Design Philosophy

"We wanted to create a design philosophy, or a set of values, to unite the user experience practitioners across the business. We settled on nine keywords which we think sum up what we're about and what we're trying to achieve:

Modern British We want to create a modern British design aesthetic, something vibrant and quirky that translates outside our national boundaries.

Current It needs to feel current and reflect what's happening in the UK right now, in real-time. We curate a timeline of Britain and create links to the past - to our rich archive.

Authentic Wherever we are heard we need to sound authentic and relevant, warm and human. We want to reference the BBC's iconic design and broadcasting heritage. We value the trust placed in us.

Compelling We engage our audiences with compelling storytelling. Our voice ranges from serious and authoritative through to witty and entertaining.

Distinctive We stand out from the crowd. We strike a balance between overly templated, cookie-cutter design and beautiful anarchy. We are bold and dramatic.

Pioneering We pioneer design innovations that surprise and delight. But we take our audiences with us.

Joined-up We view all services and platforms as one connected whole but deliver experiences that are sensitive to their context of use. 

Universal Our services are open and accessible. Our interfaces are simple, useful and intuitive.

Best Our ambition is to be the best digital media brand in the world.

Armed with our new philosophy we began creating conceptual designs for various properties: BBC news, homepage, search, iPlayer, programme pages and the embedded media player."

Guardian take on the redesign: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/feb/17/first-glimpse-bbc-website-rel...