Decided to browse itv hub on my android to see recent dramas, and you can see recent programs etc, but they are in are in a random mess.

There does not seem to be any categorires option or even an A-Z list. The only option seems to be a search box which is not much use if you do not know what you are looking for.

Contrast this with the reasonably well designed STV Player which sorts by category, has an a-z list etc.

How can ITV's little sister develop a reasonable quality app, but ITV's app is seemingly pathetically designed? Am I missing something on how to use ITV hub?

Adam Crozier, that is possibly part of the problem. Adam is the Chief Executive at ITV, and he has quite a thing these days for trying to turn ITV into something more akin to the American FTA broadcasters.

What has this got to do with it? Well... (it's a really really long story so I'll try to shorten it) basically he wants things like retransmission fees and additional fees for viewers to access anything but the free transmissions you get over the air. What this means is that he is reluctant to have ITV offer anything new unless viewers pay for it like they do over in the US.

If you look at American free-to-air broadcasters, they basically are only free with a terrestrial antenna, and a very basic catch-up service. If you want more with your catch-up, you either pay for it or have to subscribe to a pay-TV service, or subscribe via something like Hulu.

Adam wants the same for ITV Hub, but this is not so easy in the UK because of an aversion by the public to pay for commercial FTA TV, and laws that restrict this as well.

He has tried a few things in SVOD with ITV, but they have all failed so far.

Hopefully he may just give up in the end and allow ITV Hub to grow, but it is just as likely that he will not allow it to expand or improve until he can find a way to charge viewers to use it.

All very well but why is it the only tv catchup service that seemingly doesn't allow you to easily browse its content?

In shorter terms, budget restraints on their catch-up platforms. The above simply mentions the reasons behind it.

http://www.itv.com/hub/categories contains a categorised A-Z list of programmes. it's not ideal, but you could use that to find something then watch it on your preferred device?

Chronological order isn't random.

Ok but what use is that really unless you know the tv schedules off by heart?

I do not buy the budget constraints argument - If that eass the case why did they bother updating it at all when it give very little extra from old app?

STV have a fraction of ITVs income and they can produce a reasonable app. ITV's app is a joke.

Frankly, I just use the STV app now mostly, but occasionally something is on ITV hub that is not on STV.

Thanks - as you say not perfect but better than nothing. As I say in another reply, I tend to use STV app, but STV does not have all ITV offerings.