Designing Applications for Windows Media Center

In the past, interaction with applications on personal computers was accomplished primarily by using the keyboard and the mouse. Windows Media Center provides another option: interaction with a computer that works like interaction with a television, by using a remote control. The user can now be some distance away from the display of the user interface and from a mouse and keyboard, and still access all application functionality.

Creating a user interface that works equally well with mouse, keyboard, and remote control requires a deeper level of thinking of how to present computer-based information. Compared to a keyboard and mouse, the remote control is smaller and easier to use; however, it provides a more limited form of user input. And while the greater viewing distance afforded through remote control use provides a more comfortable experience for enjoying digital entertainment, it necessitates a new visual design style to ensure clarity, coherence, and readability.

In adapting the principles of information design for this new medium, it is important to consider the user's expectations. In some ways, the Windows Media Center experience is more like watching a television or interacting with a video game than using a computer. As a result, users expect a richer, more dynamic, and animated experience. They expect that the input device will make their experience simpler, not more complicated. They may also expect applications to be more convenient, simpler to learn, and easier to use than applications controlled by the keyboard or mouse.