Hello...

...my name is Colin Warhurst, a Strategy Manager working within BBC R&D's Blue Room team.

I am passionate about exploring new technologies and their potential impacts through research, analysis, data-visualisation, and hands-on experimentation.

This site is designed to showcase the types of multimedia, presentation and data-analysis reports that I am capable of. I hope the work here is of interest.

I have curated this website within the specific context of exploring future roles at the BBC. Accordingly, mentions of specific BBC teams and projects maybe explicitly mentioned in some of the context and commentary which follows.

Many thanks, Col

info@colinwarhurst.co.uk

Analyst Reports, 1000 words

These reports were created as proof-of-concept to see what types of analysis I could research and produce under 'sprint' conditions. Each of these reports took approximately 1.5 days to complete, going from research, analysis, then formatting and distillation into the clearest essential information.

The first is a recommendations report, that uses the 2021 CES trade show as the subject, and gives three clear recommendations to the CTOs of media organisations.

The second analyses the impact of Covid on India's TV landscape. It draws on multiple sources, uses data visualisation, and provides clear takeaway information.

The reports were a pitch to the recently formed Chief Technology Advisory team, and as such feature a "CTA" logo that I designed to add a sense of authority and confidence in the brand, making a more convincing pitch and demonstration of the art of the possible.

Ex-2page_CES-2021_Actionable-Insight.pdf

Ex-Special-Report_Indian-Media.pdf

BBC Projects

Business Analysis, Project Management

Before my time in the Blue Room, I worked as a Business Analyst, Project Manager, and Solution Designer for over three years. During this time I gained significant multidisciplinary experience working alongside stakeholders and teams from across the BBC, while also understanding and working with an incredibly diverse range of technologies.

A more complete list of these projects highlighting the range of assignments, and variety of departments that I have worked alongside, can be found on this separate page using the button below. I would of course be happy to expand upon any of these projects in more detail.

Project List

Notable Projects Include:

Project Manager: Salford Blue Room Refit
Subject Matter Expert: Video & Post-Production. Amplifying emerging technologies that map to creative processes, including: ML, 360 Video, Next-Gen Displays, next-gen cameras.
Business Analysis: Google Cloud Vision API. Machine- vision capabilities for auto-logging of video. Requirements gathering & SME interviews across BBC, recommendations paper.
Engagement Lead: UHD Awareness campaign. Engaging internal & external stakeholders. Public speaking, live event production.
Change Control Manager: iCTA Phase Out. BA & PM duties, requirements gathering workflow mapping, BAU handover
Project Manager: Baton Automated Quality Control rollout in Nations & Regions. Test script project, multi-site co-ordination, creation of pan-BBC AQC group and knowledge share processes.

Data & Visualisation

I have consistently used data to validate my analysis and to evidence to stakeholders the thinking behind my analysis, solutions design, or recommendations. I primarily used Excel at an advanced level, before going onto to learn visualisation techniques in tools such as Google Data Studio. Finally, my Level 4 Data Analysis apprenticeship has enabled me to add multiple professional data analyst tools to my capabilities. Below are brief descriptions and links to some more recent examples that utilise Python, Pandas, Tableau, and more.

Blue Room Dashboard

In 2021, I re-architected the team's data systems, providing increased automation and accountability. The dashboard informs targeting and editorial decisions, significantly improving impact and reach. Built with Tableau and Python. (BBC Internal)

L4 DA Apprenticeship: Project, NHS Data

Final assignment: open, analyse, and provide actionable insight from 6x separate NHS sources and over 16 million lines of data. Time bound assignment, completed using Jupyter Notebooks, Python, Pandas and Plotly Express. (Upon request)

Rise of The Splinternets

Sourcing and enriching international journalistic data, transformed into maps that quickly and effectively reveal the growth and insights of "nationalised internets" around the world. Part of our wider "Digital Identities" season. Tableau (BBC Internal)

Low Carbon Content: Radio GFX

Blue Room working theory that newer TVs use less power with darker graphics. Data & dashboard successfully tested hypothesis and influenced iPlayer stakeholders to alter current TV-Radio graphics. Significant potential carbon savings. (BBC Internal)

Prestige Reports

Since 2016, I have the generation of the Blue Room's trade show reports. As well attending and reporting from several events myself, I also architected the processes, templates and publishing mechanisms to enable the wider team to generate their own reports, but with a shared narrative voice, style, and identity that belongs to the Blue Room.

Versions of these reports have been made available to the public on the BBC Medium.com page, while others are restricted for exclusively for internal BBC use. I have highlighted three of the best, written alongside my colleagues, and provided links to the remainder.

CES 2019 (Las Vegas), with Richard Robbins

We uncover the dramatic advances in Machine Vision technologies, and how Google's search will win our hearts - in return for TV control. (BBC Internal)

Photokina 2018 (Cologne)

I predict the event's failure to include mobile photography will spell trouble. Spoilers: I was right, this was the last ever Photokina... Medium.com

IFA 2019 (Berlin), with James Hand

We reveal Amazon's miniaturisation, with Alexa built into incredibly tiny devices, is a compelling vision of ubiquitous computing. Medium.com

The wider list:

IFA 2022, Berlin (BBC Internal)
CES 2022, Remote (BBC Internal)
CES 2021, Remote (BBC Internal)
CES 2020, Remote (BBC Internal)
IFA 2017, Berlin (Medium.com)
Photokina 2016, Cologne (Medium.com)
IFA 2016, Berlin (Medium.com)

Emerging Technology Wiki

Prototype Knowledge Base

Between 2018-2019 I was tasked with creating a prototype knowledge base, hosting explainer content and curated analysis from BBC SMEs on a range of themes.

Phase One: Created wiki and articles covering: AR & VR, Voice & CUIs, 5G, AI & ML, UHD & Next Gen Video, Blockchain, IoT, Digital Twins and Object Based Media.

Phase Two: would have saw me architect and create a series of data-driven heatmaps and trend radars, in the vein of the Thoughtworks Technology Radar.

A change in role meant I had to leave the wiki in stasis - though it could be rebooted and put to immediate use in the context of the R&D CTA Team.

(BBC Internal)

Internet Technologies

Digital Identities

The deck here is a streamlined version of the 'Personal Data Stores' session from 2020, that the outgoing BBC Director General, Tony Hall, personally asked me to create and deliver.

The DG had already taken part in my "Privacy & Ad-Tracking" session alongside the Next-Generation Committee. Afterwards, he asked me to create a briefing on personal data stores.

Knowing of BBC R&D's existing expertise and projects, I immediately sought out the "Cornmarket" team, collaborating with them to create this session.

The 'explainer animation' I created in this deck has subsequently gone on to be used by the Cornmarket team in their own official explanatory media.

DI IV: (Public)

This session became part-four of the Blue Room's wider "Digital Identities" season that I created alongside Alison Hunter (Senior Technology Demonstrator). This season allowed us to investigate, and become SMEs in, consumer-facing internet-related technologies: ad-tracking, privacy, dark nets, internet control, personal data stores, and Splinternets.

Our "Digital Identities" season has been delivered to hundreds of attendees internally and externally, at multiple levels of seniority, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Films & Presentation

To foster confidence in an audience who maybe intimidated by technology, it is crucial to have an accessible and friendly manner that allows anyone to come on the journey. Similarly, for more formal situations and dealing with experts, it is important to adopt accurate terminology, and to adopt the relevant authority the subject demands.

These samples of BBC specific films hopefully convey my ability to vary my presentation style, tone, and formality to suit specific audiences, both on-camera and in-person.

UHD Explained (IBC 365)

I was asked to stand-in for the BBC Head of UHD to present this film for IBC. The intended audience is creative media professionals who do not work in technology, but who need to understand UHD quickly to meet commissioning demands. I wrote, memorised, and presented the content in a single take in a "glassboard" format.

BRR Episode #004 - TikTok!

Episode four of an ongoing film series that I Produce, Direct & Edit. I host a diverse panel of expert contributors from across the BBC, as we introduce, analyse, and share our thoughts on a particular app's functions, UI, and audience impact.

More episodes of Blue Room Reacts can be found on BBC Gateway here

Blue Room Fair Walk-through,

This was a spontaneous piece to camera, completely improvised, and recorded at the BBC AI & Society Conference in 2019. Here I give an overview of the Machine-Learning and AI exhibits, and why they matter in a media context.

BBC Academy feat. Colin Warhurst

I was approached by the BBC Academy in 2015 to help record a film on location at the Blue Room in Salford, and to present to camera based on a pre-written script. I have subsequently featured in further films in similar formats for the Academy.

Podcasts: 2LO Rebooted

I have been a contributor to the BBC Technology focused podcast, 2LO Rebooted. I was first invited by Bill Thompson as a contributor, and I later also acted as interviewer for a guest feature.

AI Conference Special: Interviewing Ahmed Razek on misinformation, disinformation and AI.
Soundcloud.com (From 8:20)
CES 2019: My overview of the trends at the world's largest consumer technology trade show.
Soundcloud.com
Photokina 2018: My overview of the trends at the world's oldest photography trade show.
Soundcloud.com
IFA 2017: My overview of the trends at Europe's largest consumer technology trade show.
Soundcloud.com
Episode 9: Colin discusses Twitch.tv and game streaming culture with Bill Thompson
Soundcloud.com (From 14:24)
Episode 8: Colin discusses the different types of Ultra High-Definition with Bill Thompson
Soundcloud.com (From 18:22)

I hope the work here creates a richer picture of my experience, and variety of skills.
To discuss more, please get in touch at info@colinwarhurst.co.uk

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