Quantum of Solace: Computer Table and Walls

Hi Damian -- 

this is Ben. Thank you very much for your compliments on our work in the film -- it's much appreciated!

With regards to your question, there actually was a lot of R&D done on the user interface we designed for the smart wall & table, from the shape & placement of nodes to their color & purpose. The nodes themselves serve both as 'information centers' as well as a visual / tactile utility for navigating about. Much like the visual thesaurus project (which I'm sure you're aware of), each node is connected to other nodes of relevant information via tendrils, the proximity and size of which indicate the most relevant information. 

So, for example -- if you recall the scene where M is on the phone with Bond and they're searching for Greene on the big smart wall in her office -- the Greene node is the most prominent, as it's the feature of that session. From that, the computer connects additional nodes to that central one as it finds out more information about Greene, essentially creating a nonlinear cluster of information that's both intuitive for the user and unique to that session.

The color of each node indicates its function (i.e. red for real-time action, green for location, blue for people, etc.), and they're meant to be bright & saturated -- at times to the point of annoyance -- for quick recognition. The idea there is that MI6 agents need to be able to find and react to information quickly, and the human brain responds to color much faster than any other stimuli. 

The foundation of the operating system is based on the principles of radial thinking & mind mapping, which both theorize that the best way to absorb and process information is by organizing it in such a way that it's aligned with how the brain itself process information, i.e. by forming relationships between previously-unrelated material to create a 'web of understanding'. 

As I mentioned, these nodes can then also become utilities, where the user can directly manipulate it to access more data relating to that node (as in using it to scale up a scan of a dollar bill, for example).

Hope that helps!

Best,

Ben