Fascinating
facts about the invention of
Post-it Notes by Arthur
Fry and Spencer Silver in 1974. |
POST-ITŪ
NOTES |
|
| Everyone knows what
Post-itŪ notes
are: They are those great little self-stick notepapers. Most
people have Post-itŪ Notes.
Most people use them. Most people love them. But Post-itŪ Notes
were not a planned product. |
 |
No one got the idea and then stayed up nights to
invent it. A man named Spencer Silver was working in the 3M research laboratories in
1970 trying to find a strong adhesive. Silver developed a new adhesive, but it was
even weaker than what 3M already manufactured. It stuck to objects, but could easily
be lifted off. It was super weak instead of super strong. |
| No one knew what to do with the
stuff, but Silver didn't discard it. Then one Sunday four years later, another 3M
scientist named Arthur Fry was singing in the church's choir. He used markers to
keep his place in the hymnal, but they kept falling out of the book. Remembering
Silver's adhesive, Fry used some to coat his markers. Success! With the weak
adhesive, the markers stayed in place, yet lifted off without damaging the pages. 3M
began distributing Post-it Ū Notes nationwide in 1980 -- ten years after Silver developed
the super weak adhesive. Today they are one of the most popular office products
available. |
TO LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
A Century of
Innovation at 3M from The
Great Idea Finder
History
of Office Equipment
from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Mistakes
That Worked
by Charlotte Foltz Jones, John O'Brien (Illustrator) / Paperback - 48
pages / Doubleday (1994)
Recounting the fascinating stories behind the accidental inventions of forty
familiar objects and products.
Innovation:
Breakthrough Thinking at 3M (Limited Availability)
Rosabeth Moss Kanter / Hardcover - 209 pages / Harper
Business (1997)
While many managers still view creativity and originality in the workplace with
suspicion and apprehension, some of today's top corporations are parlaying these same
traits into notable long-term success.
Creating Breakthroughs at 3M
by Eric Von Hippel (Author), Stefan Thomke (Author), Mary Sonnack (Author) / [DOWNLOAD:
PDF] eBook 442K 9 digital pages / Harvard Business School Press (January 14, 2002)
The authors explain the process and how the 3M project team successfully navigated
through it. In the end, the team proposed three major new product lines and a change in
the division's strategy that has led to the development of breakthrough products.
Strategic Stories: How 3M Is Rewriting Business Planning
by Gordon Shaw (Author), Robert Brown (Author), Philip Bromiley (Author) / Download
eBook(PDF) 405K 6 digital pages / Harvard Business School Press (January 14, 2002)
When people can locate themselves in the story, their sense of commitment and
involvement is enhanced. By conveying a powerful impression of the process of winning,
narrative plans can mobilize an entire organization.
Why Didn't I
Think of That? Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness
by Charles W. McCoy Jr. / Hardcover: 256 pages / Prentice Hall Press (January 15, 2002)
Aims to empower by teaching readers how to think more clearly, creatively, and
comprehensively. His eight chapters deal with perception, concentration, high-level
thinking, a systematic approach, imagination, intuition, empathy, and anticipation.
Rapid Problem
Solving With Post-It Notes
by David Straker / Paperback: 160 pages / Fisher Books (August 1997)
Solve problems, create solutions and find answers fast—all with the help of
Post-itŪ Notes. Tens of millions of Post-itŪ Notes users can now learn how to do far
more with these great little tools.
ON THE WEB:
Art Fry and the invention of Post-itŪ Notes
The 3M dedication to innovation is always a team effort. Innovators learn
that it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
(URL: www.3m.com/about3m/pioneers/fry.jhtml)
Art Fry, Post-It Notes Inventor
From Invention At Play. Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and
Innovation at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American
History.
(URL: invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/iap/inventors_fry.html)
The
Invention Dimension - Invention of the Week
Featured Art Fry and Spencer Silver for the invention of Post-itŪ notes.
(URL: web.mit.edu/invent/iow/frysilver.html)
Post-it
Photograph
A new way to use Post-it notes.
(URL: www.umbrella.net/Webpages/norm/postit.html)
WHERE TO FIND:
Post-it Flag Highlighter with 50 Red Flags per Pen PLUS 2 Refills
Office Supplies / by Post-It / B0000AQO81 / Less than $5.00
Post-it Flags combined with yellow felt highlighter provide a
convenient, ultra portable way to always have flags at your finger tips.
DID YOU KNOW:
- In 1977, test-markets failed to show
consumer interest. However in 1980, 3M implemented a massive consumer
sampling strategy, and the Post-itŪ note took off.
- Today Post-it Notes are one of the
five top-selling office products in the United States, and Dr.
Silver's "flubber" is now the basis for more than 200 products.
- With over $100 million dollars in
revenue since its discovery, Post-Its have to be one of the most
useful tools to mankind
|
Post-itŪ
Notes is a registered trademark of 3M. All rights reserved.
| Reference
Sources in BOLD Type |
This
page revised May 30, 2006. |
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