06. One Laptop per Child

 
 

Hundred Dollar Laptop

Designing a low-cost computer for school children in developing nations worldwide.
How do you design an extremely low-cost computer that also meets the technological and infrastructure challenges presented by the developing world? How do you meet demanding technical constraints but also create aesthetic and functional details appropriate and pleasing for the audience—in this case, for children who often walk miles to school, live in homes without electricity and in villages without technicians?

Nicholas Negroponte and MIT’s Media Lab engaged Continuum to collaborate on creating an iconic laptop, a powerful tool to both educate and empower children worldwide. The resulting laptop, sold through the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child, is now in the hands of thousands of children across the world, from Ethiopia and Rwanda to Cambodia and Afghanistan. Throughout the Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East, the project is helping to connect the world’s next generation of thinkers.
The MIT Media Lab had a vision to revolutionize education in developing countries, driven by a robust, durable, and iconic laptop that could be manufactured for $100 and distributed to the world’s children.Inspired by the power of design when it connects with people in a meaningful way, Continuum set out to understand the everyday challenges faced by the children who might use this computer. The design must facilitate alternative power sourcing, be easy to transport and highly durable—standing up to wind, rain, humidity, and dust.

Early design explorations were slowly narrowed, and the concept was refined through numerous physical models. Insights and deep user understanding led to a laptop that was thin and highly transportable, while maintaining its unique and memorable aesthetic. It included the capability for an external human-generated power source and antennae to enable networking with other laptops.

The final prototype was iconic and award-winning, taking home an IDEA award in 2006 after its unveiling by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. It has since won many awards. But more important, participating countries are using the laptop to transform education, empowering thousands of children around the world.
 

Related Content