1. ENGINEERING SNIPPET: 3M POST-IT PRODUCTS
(Bring: Array of Post-it products, 3x5 Post-it Notes, Flag dispenser, Flag Highlighter)
- Introduced in U.S. in 1980
- One of top five selling office products in U.S.
- 400 Post-it products
Product for unmet needs. Consumers created all kinds of uses.

2. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
Founded 1902, Two Harbors MN
3M HISTORY:
- Five businessmen joined to mine corundum, abrasive for grinding wheels
- Moved to Duluth and made sandpaper products. Company struggled.
- Moved to St. Paul in 1910
- Waterproof sanding paper: for auto industry; wet sanding kept dust down
- Richard Drew (to 3M after 1 year in engineering at the U) sold to local auto shops. Saw need for masking tape in paint shops doing 2-tone cars
- 1925: Drew invented masking tape
- Adhesives, roofing granules, health care in 60’s
3M NOW:
- Medical, Office, Industrial, Connectors Transportation. Things that stick, things that go on a roll. 50,000 products
- Annual sales = > $15b, 30% of sales from products created during past 4 years
- Operations in 60 countries, 70,000 employees
- “3M Innovation”
- 7% of sales go into R&D
- Scientists spend 15% of time on own ideas (intrapreneurship)
Dick Drew (R) with 2 billionth
roll of Scotch tape, 1957

3. Portrait of Erasmus, A. Durer, 1526
Erasmus: Dutch Renaissance author, artist, philosopher
Slips of paper as bookmarks (see Petroski, The Evolution of Useful Things, p. 85)
Portrait of Erasmus, A. Durer, 1526

4. Art Fry, inventor of the Post-it note
- Art Fry, 3M Corporate Scientist (top title, total freedom), now retired
- Started at 3M part-time in 1953 while a U Chem E undergrad
- Lots of imagination and hands-on as a kid
- New product development: find applications for materials and technologies developed in 3M labs
- In 1970’s sang in church choir. Used scraps of paper to mark hymnal. Kept falling out. Wanted a bookmark which stay yet be easily removed.
- Research scientist Dr. Spence Silver developed a unique “adhesive” in 1968 while researching acrylate adhesives used widely at 3M. Adhesive formed into small balls, about the diameter of a paper fiber. Balls were sticky, but not a continuous adhesive layer. Light stick, stayed sticky after repositioning
- Silver “marketed” adhesive internally for 5 years.
- Fry went to a Silver seminar. Saw solution for bookmark problem. Non-stick part sticks out. Saw main use when wrote a note on a bookmark; new way of communication. Developed under 15% rule.
- Initially failed. Test marketed in 1977 in four cities. Product heads flew to Richmond and went around to banks and offices. Free sample campaign in Boise. People loved them. Rolled out in West in Immediate success.
Art Fry, inventor of the Post-it note

5. Lots of variants

7. Voluntary challenge:
Develop a new Post-it Note or Flag product that would appeal to the college student market
Designs accepted next week in class
Will be given to Dave Windorski at 3M for review
Not graded, not for course credit
- Challenge: create a new market for Flags and Notes
Can be dispenser, can be custom note/flag, etc.
CITATIONS
Petroski, “The evolution of useful things”, Chapt. 5