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Message A Low-Cost PC As Latin America’s largest economy, Brazil shows potential for global growth and influence, but it demonstrates a national loyalty to its distinct segments of people and cultures. Recognizing this, Positivo Informatica—based in the southern state of Paran—wanted to move from manufacturing technology branded and sold by other companies to producing its own low-cost computer products designed specifically for Brazilians. The target market: low socio-economic level citizens. The company partnered with IDEO to develop Positivo Faces, a product line that would separate Positivo from the pack while providing users with a reliable, low-cost desktop computer and its accessories. This meant designing sturdy, mobile, aesthetically pleasing hardware that could accommodate the needs of a single user as well as a host of family members, friends, and neighbors. To better understand the sought-after demographic, the creative team visited desktop PC owners in their homes in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Using collages, cognitive mapping, and other tools, the team worked to discern the needs and desires of computer users in their personal spaces. Positivo and IDEO also studied Brazilian culture and identity—including food, music, art, and fashion—to understand its influence on everyday objects. Among other things, the team noted a dissonance between existing PC offerings and customer need. In Brazil, they found, the computer serves as a social hub in the home, and parents regard technology as an investment for their kids. Users also fear system failures, so mobility, tech support, and warranties are essential. At the same time, Brazilians like to do things themselves and customize their environments. These insights informed the Faces design. Positivo and IDEO developed an affordable tower PC with a friendly, reassuring aesthetic. Instead of hard edges, the system features smooth surfaces (facing the user), and touch points are accented with different colors and finishes. A built-in handle makes the unit easy to transport, a common occurrence for computer owners in Brazil. With tech literacy low for many in Brazil, visits to a computer company’s tech support are frequent. The built-in handle is a human-centered solution for improving the experience of owning a computer. The CPU’s removable faceplate, inspired by Brazilians’ expressiveness and ability to appropriate their environment, allows users to add their own images—and enables Positivo to differentiate its products from competitors’ on store shelves with seasonal or otherwise meaningful artwork. “We needed to create a product with detailed design that could represent the needs of the local market aesthetically and functionally,” said Adriana Flores, marketing/new products manager of Positivo. “IDEO looked to the consumers and their needs and built an effective design. We learned so much with this project.” Five Positivo Faces products hit the Brazil retail market in October 2008. The company’s promotional team carried out a grassroots campaign in 50 stores, where they explained and demonstrated how to use the system and how to personalize the CPU. Positivo Faces sold 12,000 units in its first 15 days on the market, and volume increased 4 percent the following month, despite the growing global financial downturn. Overall, Faces sales represent 32 percent of Positivo’s desktop sales, and the company plans to expand into other Latin American markets. The newspaper Folha de S.Paulo named Positivo one of the most recognized computer brands for the third consecutive year, and TNS Interscience called Positivo the company that consumers most respect in the electronics and IT segment. http://www.ideo.com/work/a-low-cost-pc