Kano is a London tech start-up founded (November 2012) by Alex Klein, Saul Klein and Yonatan Raz-Fridman. They imagined what a computer for the next generation would look like, how a computer kit could be fun enough to hold kids' attention, teach them something and be "as simple and fun as lego". They started on the prototype (Jan13') combining off-the-shelf components and graphic stories with the goal of making the Raspberry Pi accessible. After making/selling 200 kits in London schools and companies the founders planned to launch the brand and volume production with a more cohesive design.

The Kano Kit has to give anybody, anywhere the ability to make a computer and must combine the power of a game console with the simplicity of Lego. The kit will build the Kano brand for future projects. The kit has to build on top of Raspberry Pi and must be open and transparent. The kit might need new hardware extensions that don't exist on the market. If we can’t find them we need to create them. The whole kit must cost under $99. An 8-year-old must be able to make it, with no guidance in under an hour

The design process was research-led. Four different-aged users tested the pilot kit. MAP studied how to improve the user-experience, learning outcomes and the life-cycle of the kit; production, delivery, unpacking for use and repacking for storage.

Insights: There should be no distinction between product and packaging. Packaging must be part of the communication to help set-up the kit and also storage. Must fit through 80% of international letterboxes for shipping costs and mail-order. Raspberry Pi needs new snap-together protective case but be open for experimentation. Kids struggle with click-and-drag on conventional keyboards requiring a new keyboard archetype to be developed.

Kano is a computer and coding kit for all ages, all over the world. The kit includes a Raspberry Pi, case, speaker, wireless keyboard, instruction books and accessories, organised in a tray package. All components in the kit were designed from scratch to create a unified experience. The kit is designed as a complete experience from the packaging to the keyboard down to the colour of the wifi dongle. The wireless keyboard has a built-in touchpad and uniquely two separate colour-coded physical mouse buttons which make it easier for children to use.

The key aim was to make a computer and coding kit for all ages all over the world. The commercial goal was to launch the kit on Kickstarter (crowdfunding platform) and raise $100,000 in pre-orders. One objective was to gain significant PR for the Kano brand and to build a platform on which to take coding into schools; in light of pledges by the UK Government to introduce coding into the school curriculum. All these aims were met. The crowdfunding target raised over £1.5m making it the highest crowdfunded education invention ever.