Fortune - 04.2020

15

POST-IT NOTE

DESIGNED BY

3M (Spencer Silver +

Arthur Fry), 1977

The majority of

the great designs

on this list began

as solutions to

problems. But the

Post-it began life

as a solution with-

out a problem. In

the late 1960s, 3M

chemist Spencer

Silver—in pursuit

of a superstrong

adhesive—acci-

dentally created a

low-tack, reusable

adhesive that

could hold two

surfaces together

but easily be

pulled apart. And

the iconic yellow

of the paper that

eventually became

home to that new

substance? Also

an accident. It was

the color of the

scrap available to

the design team.

THE GREATEST DESIGNS OF MODERN TIMES

BOEING 747

DESIGNED BY

Joe Sutter

+ B o e in g Te am, 1970

“Making travel easier

and bringing the

world together.”

BAS VAN DE POEL,

DIRECTOR, SPACE10

POLAROID SX-70

DESIGNED BY

James Gilbert Baker

+ Edwin Herbert

Land, 1972

Kodak gave us the

camera; Polaroid

gave us an entire

film lab.

MODEL S SEDAN

DESIGNED BY

Tesla (Franz von

Holzhausen), 2012

The car that took

Tesla from upstart

to global player.

High­performance,

zero emissions.

NOKIA 3210

DESIGNED BY

Alastair Curtis, 1999

The first phone

to sell more than

100 million units.

The pinnacle of

pre­smartphone

design.

SAVOY VASE

DESIGNED BY

Alvar + Aino Aalto, 1972

“Holds flowers

similarly to a

human hand.”

RENÉE CHENG,

DEAN, UNIVERSITY

OF WASHINGTON

PHILIPS HUE

LIGHTING

SYSTEM

DESIGNED BY

Philips (Signify), 2012

Made lighting our

homes as personal

as the music we

listen to.

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