a branded, proprietary “shell” that would ship on all TI laptops. The release of Windows 95 was accompanied by a UI-shell hysteria. In fact, even Microsoft got in on the game with Microsoft Bob. Spatial metaphors were popular back then, perhaps because users were still navigating a plastic box of stuff (the World Wide Web was in its infancy). While Packard Bell released the Navigator, Apple created At Ease and Xerox’s XSoft group developed Tab Works—both used physical folder metaphors in an attempt to simplify the organization of files and applications. Our solution was called TILE, an acronym for “Texas Instruments Living Environment.” It enabled users to switch between sessions and desktops using a little cube-like icon that sat in an upper corner of their screen. They could spin it around to select different sides and states and open it up to launch a desktop. After completing a working animation of it in Macromedia Director, I considered myself an interface designer and changed my business card to say so. However, the design ultimately proved to be corny, limiting, and unscalable, and the product never shipped. But it got me an introduction to John Rheinfrank.

 

Characterization At TI’s Dallas headquarters, our design leadership had secured permission from CEO Jerry Junkins to reimagine what the next generation of portable and mobile products might be like (predominately those that we use today). Wisely, they enlisted John, Shelley, The Doblin Group, e-Lab, and core faculty from the Institute of Design to consult us