San Francisco, CA (August 20, 2008) -- LUNAR announced today its role in the development of the recently launched HP TouchSmart PCs, a groundbreaking series of personal computers incorporating touchscreen technology. The HP TouchSmart is the latest project in a long series of collaborations between HP and LUNAR spanning more than a dozen years. LUNAR created the HP TouchSmart design using graceful forms and nature-inspired accents to give this all-in-one computer a personality that feels right at home.

As the HP TouchSmart seeks to change the relationship between people and their PCs, LUNAR’s challenge was to create a design that encourages users to relate to the machine in new ways. The TouchSmart’s design incorporates easy portability, sleek contours that echo the soft lines of a messenger bag, and a warm aesthetic that allows it to flexibly fit into a variety of settings within the home.

The placement of the built-in speakers direct sound waves to reflect off of the table top surface, making for optimal sound quality. The design also incorporates an ambient task bar light that is adjustable in a variety of colors to suit the user’s mood. Casting a soothing glow on the work surface, the light offers illumination while working in the evening or can serve as an expressive, decorative lighting accent within a room while entertaining.

LUNAR’s creative approach included user-driven design innovations, incorporating feedback from people of a variety of ages and backgrounds to affirm the premise that people are ready for a PC that moves away from a techy aesthetic. The designers really wanted to know, “what PC design would you welcome into your home?” Rather than subscribing to dogmatic ideas of high-tech appearances, LUNAR found inspiration in the subtle gestures of contemporary decor and furniture designers, like Charles and Ray Eames, to create a more natural aesthetic. LUNAR infused the design with life through warm earth tones and a shape that borrows its lines from soft goods to complement the home.

"The role of the personal computer has evolved far beyond pragmatic performance, and the look of the HP TouchSmart reflects that change," said John Edson, president of LUNAR. "This PC stands out by being right at home in the home environment.”

About LUNAR
LUNAR creates winning consumer, technology and medical products that make a difference to its clients’ stakeholders, brands and markets. With a portfolio of highly successful products that have generated tens of billions of dollars in sales, LUNAR has consistently held a spot among the top 5 award-winning product design firms for the last 10 years, according to Business Week magazine. Founded in 1984, LUNAR provides full-service product development with offices in California, Hong Kong, and Europe. LUNAR’s current and past clients include Apple Computer, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft Corporation, Motorola, Philips, Oral-B, Palm, Pepsi, and Sony.

For press information contact:
Amy Cunha
amy@bigpicpr.com
415-626-3333