Channel 4 had very limited weather output on TV and no content online or on other platforms. So, they were very keen to revitalise as well as broaden this output with ambitious cross-platform ideas that would give their weather coverage a distinct Channel 4 feel.

The aim was to develop a Channel 4 alternative to the weather services offered by other broadcasters and internet sites.

This project was clearly about breaking the mould. Weather forecasting has been fundamentally the same for decades, and we quickly learned that the Channel 4 audience has a very different perspective on how weather should be presented. Many were unsure about what much of the traditional iconography meant. What they really wanted was simple, useable information such as localised temperature and conditions. All of which should be accessible on the go.

The map design presented both a difficult and unique opportunity to breathe life into the subject and create a relevant online weather tool. Our approach takes inspiration from Harry Beck’s map of the London underground, in that we have sacrificed geographic accuracy, in exchange for a useable graphic system. A grid of fourteen regional blocks makes up the map. These blocks house dynamic data that can be personalised by the user. This provides a more representative UK overview and in turn, allows the user to drill down to local weather much more quickly and easily.