industrial design

Bubble Wrap: The Failed Wallpaper That Became Everyone’s Favorite Packaging

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Bubble wrap is one of those everyday materials that seems almost too ordinary to deserve a history. It appears around new electronics, inside delivery boxes, between fragile dishes, and sometimes in the hands of someone who is far more interested in popping it than in protecting the package. But bubble wrap has a surprisingly strange … Read more

Zippers: The Tiny Invention Holding Everyday Life Together

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Most people use zippers every single day without thinking much about them. They appear on:– jackets– jeans– backpacks– luggage– shoes– tents A quick pull of a small metal or plastic tab instantly joins or separates two pieces of material. The mechanism seems simple today, but creating a reliable zipper took decades of experimentation, failed inventions, … Read more