Search History was widely used where available, but missing or inconsistent across products. We had strong confidence in its value, but no clear approach for how it should work across News, Sport, iPlayer and Sounds.
I led the design of a unified Search History experience across apps, working in a trio with Product and Engineering leads, while also managing a UX apprentice.
Skills
End-to-end ownership · Product thinking · Cross-functional influence
Outcome
Built confidence in a scalable cross-product direction that later influenced Search History implementation on web.
Final cross-product Search History designs for iOS
Validating the opportunity
Implementing Search History across products felt like a clear opportunity, but we needed evidence to support our assumption.
A product audit, existing research and behavioural data confirmed the user need and showed the scale of demand.
Recent searches account for 36% of search journeys in the Sounds app.
The value also extended beyond search, with Search History data helping inform better personalisation and recommendations across the BBC.
The question became less about whether to implement it, and more about how to design it as a shared capability that could work consistently and efficiently across products.
I synthesised the findings and shared them with Product and Engineering, building alignment and confidence in the direction.
Search History was inconsistently implemented across BBC products
Designing a scalable capability
Search History needed to work consistently across products while still responding to different search behaviours.
I tested three distinct concepts across News, Sport, iPlayer and Sounds, revealing broadly similar expectations but important differences between products.
I led the research end to end, working with a UX apprentice from planning through to analysis. I then shared the findings with the wider team and stakeholders before refining the designs around research findings, product requirements and technical feasibility.
Tested concepts across News, Sport, iPlayer and Sounds
Turning opportunity into direction
I drove the project from problem framing through user testing and into later implementation, leading the design and shaping the direction within the product trio.
A clear UX roadmap and regular sharebacks kept Product and Engineering close to the work, helping maintain pace, surface blockers and align decisions as the direction evolved.
This helped ensure the final designs balanced user needs, product priorities and technical constraints.
UX roadmap used to align the team from the start
Results
Established a scalable approach for Search History across products.
Produced clear, evidence-based designs ready for experimentation, despite the project being temporarily paused due to shifting priorities.
Built stakeholder confidence and directly influenced the later implementation of Search History on web.
Search History later implemented on BBC Weather
Reflection
Early and continuous collaboration helped build trust, alignment and shared ownership across Design, Product and Engineering.
Adapting my mentoring approach helped a UX apprentice who was initially struggling grow in confidence and contribute more effectively, with others in the Search team noticing the improvement.
The project also showed that impact isn’t always immediate. Although the work didn’t move straight into app delivery, the evidence and direction later influenced implementation on web.
"Andy has had a significant positive impact on the team through mentorship. His guidance and encouragement have played a key role in Reena’s development, helping her grow her skills and confidence during her time with Search"
Gail, Senior UX Designer in Search
