Really excited to share this behind-the-scenes clip about the relaunch of BBC News Arabic’s Trending!
This video offers a glimpse into what the new version of the show brings — from the storytelling possibilities unlocked by templated mixed reality graphics, to some of the challenges of delivering such a complex relaunch as a live daily programme.
The new iteration of Trending combines an interactive touchscreen, powered by templated content, with mixed reality graphics (AR, VR & XR). It also introduces a workflow where additional graphics engines simultaneously render vertical versions of all content — ready to be published as social-first reels.
It’s been a complex but incredibly rewarding journey, and I’m really proud to have contributed through full-stack graphics development, helping bridge the gap between creative ambition and technical execution.
This has been a true cross-team effort, bringing together design, editorial, automation, engineering and operations — pushing both technology and workflows to deliver something flexible, visually engaging, and sustainable as a daily live production.
A big thank you to everyone who worked on this project over the past year — and a big thank you as well to everyone who took part in these interviews!
Design Director World Service: Paul Pledger
Creative Director News Design Global: Caroline Pitt
Launch Lead Directors: Ryan Lazenby, Jon Harrison
Lead Designer: Adil Tazrouti
Real-time Graphics Developer: Thomas Doukinitsas
Motion Designer: Katayoon Forouhesh
3D Designers: Jonathan Barrett, Ammar Al Yasiri, Adil Tazrouti
Automation Team: Andrew Dakin, Marcus McNulty, Nick Buckley, Derek Morrison
Editorial Leads: Mohamed El-Sayed, Fairouz Hosny, Edgard Jallad, Norma Hajj
Editorial Team: Ahmad Al-Hussein, Nirvana Abdel Motaleb, Majd Kilani, Nidaa El Ghazal, Taouba Khelfi, Muna Abu Amara, Serene Muhammed, Mohammad Al Ardah, Abdallah Al-Qasli, Hatem Shujoon, Julnar Janjo
Picture Editor: Shayma Alissi
Presenters: Serena Ghokeh, Yasmine Abukhadra
Music: David Lowe
Marketing: Annabel Phelps, Emma Leventhal
Promotional Material: BBC Creative / BBC News Design