"We continue to move closer to a seamless convergence of media and medium. The Windows Media Center demonstrates how simple and seamless this new day of interaction should be. Your computer just ate your TV and DVD player." —juror Kevin Flatt

"Designing with restraint is often our most difficult challenge. So I can really appreciate the simplicity of a design that acknowledges the unique experience of using a TV remote and sitting ten feet from the screen." —juror Jacquie Moss

Overview: A new mode of the WindowsXP operating system, Windows Media Center offers an integrated media consumption experience on a TV screen. With animated menus driven by PC technology, it brings a surprising amount of interactivity to your remote control.

• 4-level information hierarchy
• 1 1/2 years in development
• 30 person team

Comments by Bill Flora:
"How do you evolve the Windows operating system to be useful and desirable in the living room?

"We embraced the constraints of the remote control and TV screen and developed the design mantras: 'make it simple,' 'make it cool' and 'let the content shine.'

We took advantage of the PC processor to help bring the simple UI to life through subtle and smooth animation.

"Our big design challenges were creating a design that gracefully adapted for global use and for an infinite combination of hardware and interface configurations. For example Windows Media Center can be used with a mouse in a small window on a desktop in someone's den in Spain or with a remote control on a PC with an HDTV display specifically designed for a living room in Japan.

"In the end, I think our biggest design asset is that we're a design group within a product development and business team that greatly values design."