The Sugar interface was developed for One Laptop per Child, a nonprofit initiative to put laptops in the hands of children from developing countries. Its development required a complete rethinking of the traditional desktop interface, not only in relation to the educational needs of children, but also so that the interface could be intuitive across international cultural boundaries. In addition, the interface had to be appropriate for those of varying ages with no previous computer experience. As such, the interface utilizes familiar graphic icons, consisting primarily of body metaphors, to represent individual classmates, friends and teachers. All are linked by a localized mesh network that interconnects laptops within range.

Contact: Kurt Koepfle: [email protected] Credit: Pentagram Design, One Laptop per Child and Red Hat Client: