Microsoft "Galapagos"
Design Strategy, Industrial Design
"Galapagos" was a proposal for Microsoft to define, develop and market a line of premium, design-driven PCs. The proposal was to create "halo" PC designs: tablets, ultra-portable laptops and all-in-one PCs, and deliver them as a complete experience: hardware, software, brand & retail. The idea was to do to the PC business what the MINI did to the small car category- give users a PC that they could love. The project was the result of two "Thinkweek" papers written by David for Bill Gates, and the accelerated business development program that followed.
David used the Galapagos project to develop many of the ideas that later found their way into Microsoft Surface, such as the "there when you need it" keyboard and the integrated kickstand / cover. Galapagos was also used to generate much of the executive support that would later be needed to initiate the Surface project.
