Welcome to rayogram.

When Microsoft invited us to contribute to Microsoft Plus! for Windows 98, we saw an opportunity to do something playful and unexpected: bring Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters into the desktop environment itself. The result was the Peanuts Theme, a complete visual and auditory skin that turned the everyday act of booting up a PC into a moment of joy.

Desktop computing in the late 1990s was still defined by gray taskbars and blue backgrounds. Themes were a new idea — a way to personalize the interface with custom icons, sounds, and wallpapers. Microsoft wanted to show off this feature to a global audience, and Peanuts was the perfect cultural partner: instantly recognizable, cross-generational, and full of characters that lent themselves to digital reinterpretation. Our challenge was to translate a hand-drawn, ink-and-paper world into a functional operating system skin without losing its warmth and humor.

We collaborated with United Media and Microsoft to build a full desktop theme. The design replaced default icons with Peanuts-styled versions (Snoopy for “My Computer,” Woodstock for “Network Neighborhood,” and so on). We created wallpapers featuring classic Peanuts scenes — like Charlie Brown being flipped upside-down by Lucy on the baseball field, or Snoopy napping against a tree.

Equally important were the system sounds, which became a highlight of the project. Instead of the default Windows chimes, users were greeted with audio cues straight from the Peanuts universe — Vince Guaraldi’s jazz motifs, Charlie Brown’s famous “Aaugh!,” or the unmistakable crash of the Red Baron. Together, the visuals and sounds made everyday computing feel like stepping into Schulz’s Sunday strip.

The Peanuts Theme was more than a novelty: it demonstrated how software could feel personal, cultural, and fun. Millions of Windows 98 users around the world discovered it through Microsoft Plus!, and for many, it became their first experience customizing a computer.

For rayogram, it was proof that branding and storytelling could extend even to the desktop interface — years before custom skins, emojis, and personalization became the norm. By blending design, audio, and code, the Peanuts Theme turned a utility into an experience, making Windows 98 just a little more human.