Creating a dynamic and accessible timeline experience

bp sought to transform its existing history timeline into a dynamic and engaging experience that not only showcased its heritage but also aligned with its future-looking business strategy and its role in shaping the future of energy.

The goal was to create an engaging, interactive timeline that brought together key milestones, events, innovations and stories in a way that was both informative and visually compelling. It also had to be measurable, easy to manage within the Contenful CMS, and meet accessibility, security and governance standards.

Through in-depth user research, collaborating with key bp stakeholders and testing of both the existing timeline and competitor experiences, we uncovered insights that shaped the final direction.

• Users expressed a clear desire for customisable experiences that adapted to their individual preferences and reading styles

• A linear timeline would not be sufficient for the depth and breadth of stories bp wanted to tell

• The experience had to work as both a storytelling tool and a reference resource, with users looking for more than corporate history – they wanted to understand bp’s impact through moments of cultural, social and global relevance

These findings underscored the importance of exploring creative solutions that could flexibly support diverse user needs while maintaining rich editorial value. Helping to shape a user experience that balanced depth, clarity and discovery in an engaging format across different devices.

The final product delivered a rich and immersive timeline experience that both honoured bp’s legacy and supported its strategic future. The modular design and integration with Contentful provided a flexible, scalable solution that could be reused for a variety of content applications across the site. By maintaining the editorial integrity previously recognised and significantly enhancing usability and accessibility, we ensured the experience would be meaningful and engaging to all identified user groups.
 
This project reflects how strategic design, technical innovation, and user-centred thinking came together to create a digital experience that is both future-ready and deeply respectful of bp’s past, setting a benchmark internally for how the brand can present complex stories in a modern, engaging and user-friendly way.