Design is an activity that has become fully part of our lives. We live in a world that is shaped largely by human effort and in which design is so present that it often becomes invisible until it ceases to work. However, design enables us to constantly, consistently, solve problems that generate great social impact. In this show, the Museum of Design in Barcelona focused on design that is expressly aimed at improving the lives of the users it is intended for, the environment in which it operates and the society to which it belongs.
To demonstrate the key role that design can play in providing solutions to everyday problems of different types, improving the welfare of citizens, both in our immediate context and in more distant geographical regions.
This was the main purpose of this exhibition, which took place at the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona from February the 19th – May the 17th.
The XO Laptop was part of this exhibition of the 99 design for life projects.
Inauguration Photo credit: Design Museum of Barcelona
Find a list of all the pieces exhibited here and more details about this exhibition in the press dossier.
@susan The OLPC project’s mission focuses on children in developing nations, not in North America. Step outside of your bubble for a sec. People in developing nations, no matter how long they work in some cases will never be able to afford a laptop or cellphone. These very tools are the future and access to them provide opportunities. Times are changing as you can see, and being stuck in the past and worrying about how the “old times” were doesn’t help to address the complexities of TODAY’s problems. OLPC is an awesome project, there a book about its evolution, I highly recommend it!
Thank you David!!!
This is a great project:) While this is a good place to ask questions: I had the same question — “have you ever thought about extending the project to poor and social troubled people in “rich†countries?”
I have raised FIVE children over the past thirty years. During that time I have watched children go from being raised to be strong, resilient, independent, and self sufficient human beings to whiny weak stranger danger can’t do anything for themselves useless medicated, everyone has a disorder non-humans. Recently as a student in University I was stunned to see the 18-24 year old ADULTS cry to the Dean because they weren’t permitted to use their cellphones during class, lectures or otherwise. They cried and had their own parents call to have course syllabus’ changed because there were too many books to read or poems to remember. I have watched society turn our youth into the weakest most useless excuse ridden people on this planet. One laptop per child…? can I vomit now at the ridiculous notion that a pre-teen or teen without employment has any need or requirement of either a cellphone or a laptop/computer. I have never seen a generation of people more catered to, and yet as completely without self confidence or independence as the ones I have seen sine having my first child in 1986. All of my kids were expected to work HARD for everything they have. They learned to appreciate the effort and time it takes to gain any item or skill, rather than have it handed to them because we were a low income family. All of my children are hard workers and know how to save and WAIT for the things they want to have in this life. Projects such as this do nothing but further the weakness and uselessness of the youth in North America and most of the Industrialized world. It makes me sick to see children raised to EXPECT THAT THEY ARE SOMEHOW ENTITLED TO ANYTHING simply because they exist. Projects like this and the no child left behind crap are the only reason our young people can not cope with stress or deal with the reality of life. They have been raised to be weak minded medicated dependent and entirely without worth adults. Helping the poor is one thing, having any child or adult believe that without a laptop or computer of their own, a child is somehow missing out on their due is the reason we have as many teen pregnancies and belief that life will be handed to them adults. Make a real change, raise your own children instead of working two jobs for that four thousand square foot house they think their children must have. Baby gap, american eagle outfitters, blah blah blah get a grip… Gene Simmons, world’s biggest womaniser and pig as a spokesperson for aboriginals… he’s Jewish for god sake. I can’t think of a more wasteful charity or sickening ideology than to teach any child that because they exist they somehow are entitled to ANYTHING, COME ON WAKE UP. Look around you and ask yourself why our children should be entitled to anything simply because they exist. How about a house for every family…?
Just wondering I have an first nation child and saw a commercial in regards to providing an laptop for aboriginal children. What is the process I would have to do to get my son a laptop?
Thank you David
I think your project is great, maybe in future (hopefully soon) everybody will read about you all in history books, I ‘ve got a question: have you ever thought about extending the project to poor and social troubled people in “rich” countries? I’m an IT teacher in a peripheric zone of Milan, Italy, even if my country is not exactly poor (almost true: the social and economic crisis is striking yet) many students just can’t afford new it stuff,expecially compiters thanks