Microsoft has published a QnA session with Rolf Ebeling, the man responsible for the Windows 7 start up animation.
The latest QnA is the third in a series of seven that Microsoft is calling “Seven behind Windows 7″. Included in the interview is a few sketches of the early startup animation concept. The start-up animation was first unveiled in December 2008, present in Windows 7 695x builds.
According to Ebeling he looked everywhere for inspiration, including street lights in the rain, light reflecting off water, and fireflies. Music also assisted the designer as he states his incurable addiction to indie rock helped him do his best work. The look at the concept sketch work is a rare glimpse into the design process of Windows that Microsoft rarely shares. In early November we got a glimpse at some concept artwork for the Windows 7 default wallpaper.
Gizmodo tracked down Chuck Anderson, the creator of Windows 7′s box art, Default wallpaper and login screen.
In an exclusive overview of the evolution of the Windows 7 wallpaper and login screen, the gadget lovers managed to secure some rare development shots of how Microsoft decided on the wallpaper that is now used worldwide. Chuck Anderson is a 20 something digital media artist living in the US. Both the login screen and wallpapers took approximately four months, start to finish according to Gizmodo. They were achieved by a mix of pen and paper, wacom tablet and Photoshop.
It’s extremely unusual for Microsoft to share concept designs or early design work of its products so watching the evolution of the wallpapers is a glimpse into how Microsoft wanted to create a unique style for Windows 7. It’s worth noting that there are also seven leaves, seven branches, and seven flower petals in the Windows logo.
