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The Fascinating History of the Pen

…and how to succeed, and fail, in business by trying to build an empire with similar products

By Rain Noe - July 6, 2017

in Object Culture | Videos

This should be required viewing for all industrial design students.

The story starts off with the history of the modern pen which, fascinatingly, was prompted by spilled ink ruining a contract. What follows is a tale of clever design, mastery of materials, ergonomic considerations and above all, business savvy.

The second part of the story is equally instructive, covering both the successes and failures of an intelligent industrialist who sought to expand a pen empire into a product empire.

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The Fascinating History of the Pen

…and how to succeed, and fail, in business by trying to build an empire with similar products

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