From the design team's point of view, however, character-cell graphics didn't offer much opportunity for differentiation. To solve this problem, we needed a better understanding of the real capabilities and constraints of the chip. The head of MAYA's Engineering Group located the Zilog engineer who designed the chip, and through discussions with him, discovered how the design team could make more creative use of it. Working closely with Document Design International and Samsung's engineers, MAYA helped to organize the on-screen displays. The final graphic design of the interface was developed to provide users with a more physical-looking environment, one that simulated a metallic surface on which users could work.
All features are accessible with a minimum of button presses.
The design included the illusion of chamfered three-dimensionality and drop shadows. These design elements worked better than areas of flat color. We prototyped the complete on-screen display system in Macromind Director, incorporating the team's final logic and manipulation design. Daedalus Design of Pittsburgh was also involved in sketching remote-control concepts considered in the final design of the remote. In early 1997, the television appeared on retail shelves, complete with the on-screen design developed by the team.