--- title: 'Ubuntu: Designing for a good purpose' description: Ubuntu is the world’s most popular open-source operating system for phones, tablets, PCs, and TVs. It is used by more […] url: https://canonical.com/blog/ubuntu-designing-for-a-good-purpose --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Canonical](https://canonical.com/blog/author/canonical "More about Canonical") 27 January 2012 # Ubuntu: Designing for a good purpose [Design](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/design) --- Share the article Ubuntu is the world’s most popular open-source operating system for phones, tablets, PCs, and TVs. It is used by more than 20 million people in over 240 countries  – and it has been translated into more than 80 languages. From schools in Andalusia to the French police force and rural communities in India, everyone who uses it loves it. The main goals of the Ubuntu design team are to make Ubuntu appealing, usable and accessible on PCs, mobile devices and, both through these devices and through our web and cloud solutions, to make technology available for everybody. ## Access to technology is a human right On September 22, 2012, respected British newspaper The Guardian warned that, due to bank closures, many people in the UK will soon struggle to access basic financial services. Altogether, around 1,200 communities are likely to be affected by the coming closures, with many more expected to follow in the next five years. As their populations grow older, travelling to the next town will become impractical for many of these people. Instead, they will have  to go online. Communication technologies play crucial roles elsewhere, too. In 2010, the Arab Spring led to revolutions in several North African countries, the protests spreading fast, as ordinary people were mobilised through social networks. And mobile phones play an important role in rural Africa, providing basic services like healthcare information and weather forecasts. We believe access to technology is not just a luxury. It is, as these examples demonstrate, essential for satisfying basic human needs today. That’s why we consider it a human right. ## Designing amazing experiences Working in or with the Ubuntu design team means creating engaging and impactful products. We design experiences for mobile devices, desktop PCs, laptops and TVs, alongside web and cloud-based services. Fundamentally, we believe that these technologies do not need to be expensive to be useful, usable, beautiful and accessible. Designing for Ubuntu involves  many things. But above all, designing for Ubuntu means enabling basic human rights. Designing for Ubuntu is designing for a good purpose. [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. In submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Notice](https://canonical.com/legal/data-privacy/contact) and [Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/data-privacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Challenges designers face in open source (and how to fix them)](https://canonical.com/blog/challenges-designers-face-in-open-source-and-how-to-fix-them) Open source powers up to 90% of modern software, yet many projects lack usability. Canonical’s Design team surveyed 115 cross-functional professionals to uncover the 4 core... [Kola Ojoodide](https://canonical.com/blog/author/kola-ojoodide) 26 June 2026 [### Template: Streamlining open source design contributions](https://canonical.com/blog/template-streamlining-open-source-design-contributions) As designers working at Canonical, we’re always thinking about open source. We believe that encouraging more designers to contribute to open source benefits everyone, from the... [Nina Rojc](https://canonical.com/blog/author/ninarojc) 16 June 2026 [### Decoding design: How design and engineering thrive together in open source](https://canonical.com/blog/decoding-design-how-design-and-engineering-thrive-together-in-open-source) Open source thrives on engineering-driven processes. Fast feedback loops, terminal tools, Git workflows: they’re the lifeblood of how we build software in the open. But for... [Miguel Divo](https://canonical.com/blog/author/mdivo) 22 May 2026 [### Why web engineering is great](https://canonical.com/blog/why-web-engineering-is-great) Hi, I’m Johann! I’m an engineering manager in Canonical’s web team. For the larger part of my 15 years of work experience as engineer, I’ve been working in web development.... [Johann Wolf](https://canonical.com/blog/author/johannwolf) 27 April 2026