2025 | Professional

MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner

Orbit

Entrant

BBC R&D

Category

Product Design - Entertainment

Client's Name

-

Country / Region

United Kingdom

About The Entry

Young people today feel trapped. Algorithms feed them the same music on repeat, discovery feels repetitive, and new creators struggle to break through. Music that should feel alive has become predictable. Orbit breaks that cycle. It transforms music discovery into an adventure of curiosity, surprise, and connection - where every track is a portal into a new sound world.

For listeners, Orbit is a journey. Instead of endless feeds, users explore a living starfield of tracks with no labels, artist names, or genres. The design strips away bias and expectation, so curiousity leads the way. Every track is a surprise, turning listening into a purposeful, human, and thrilling experience. Discovery isn’t pushed, instead it’s earned, savoured, and felt.

For artists, Orbit creates genuine opportunity. Submissions don’t vanish into the noise, they enter curated Orbits that give them visibility, credibility and career momentum. Tracks can surface on radio stations, connect to flagship festivals like Big Weekend, be licensed, track for royalties and supported with PR. Orbit is a platform that ensures emerging voices aren’t just noticed - they are nurtured, championed, and propelled forward.

For culture, Orbit reshapes the music ecosystem. By removing algorithmic bias, it surfaces diverse, experimental voices that often remain unheard. It brings audiences closer to the unfamiliar, sparks cultural inclusion, and celebrates creativity in its rawest form. Orbit doesn’t just change how music is found - it reimagines what discovery can mean.

Visually, Orbit embraces fluidity and movement, echoing orbiting sound worlds. The starfield becomes a living map of music, where each choice feels intentional, and each connection reveals new paths. It’s a complete music ecosystem: audiences explore boldly, artists grow meaningfully, and music thrives without limits.

Credits

BBC R&D
Development Producer / BBC R&D
Rob Scott
Principal Software Engineer / BBC R&D
Mathieu Triay
Senior UX Designer / BBC R&D
Andrew Wood
Technical Project Manager / BBC R&D
Clare McAndrew
Lead Producer / BBC R&D
Tristan Ferne
Chief Technical Advisor / BBC R&D
Antonia Kerle
Head of BBC FWD / BBC R&D
Manon Dave
Head of Business, BBC FWD / BBC R&D
Margaret Karnaze
Corporate Development Lead, BBC FWD / BBC R&D
Erdugan Gashi
Corporate Development Lead, BBC FWD / BBC R&D
Sarah Shirley
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