History of Innovation Archives - Destination Innovation

The Accidental Invention that Built the Modern World

Willis Carrier didn’t set out to make summer bearable; he was just trying to fix a printing problem. In the summer of 1902, the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Company in Brooklyn was facing a crisis. High humidity in their plant caused printing paper to absorb moisture, expand, and warp. Colours misaligned, ruining images. Production ground to a halt. Willis Carrier,... Read More--

The World’s Worst Inventions

The Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris is currently hosting an exhibition called Flops? Dare, Fail, Innovate, which highlights some of the world’s most infamous product failures. One of the most memorable exhibits is the UroClub, a hollow-shafted golf club designed to serve as a portable urinal for men. Marketed as a way to keep golfers “out of the woods” and avoid leaving the course to... Read More--

The 10 Greatest Innovators of All Time

Identifying the ten most influential innovators throughout human history is a challenging task and my choices are clearly subjective. I have tried to assess them on the brilliance of their creations and also the enduring and transformative impact of their innovations. The visionary ideas and groundbreaking inventions of these people have fundamentally reshaped our world. At the pinnacle... Read More--

Innovative Ideas which were just Too Radical

Here are ten examples of innovative ideas that were initially rejected because they were considered outlandish or ridiculous but were later adopted. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine (1837): Babbage’s concept of a mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, was ahead of its time and never completed due to lack of funding and technical challenges. His ideas laid the groundwork... Read More--

15 Innovations in Retail – Past, Present and Future

Retail is a highly competitive sector of the economy. It has been characterised by major innovations and continuous evolution, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. Innovations from Years Gone By: Self-Service Stores (Early 20th Century): Innovation: The concept of self-service stores, where customers could pick their own items rather than having... Read More--

Nine Examples of Lateral Thinking in Action

Lateral thinking involves approaching problems from fresh perspectives – literally from the side. It is particularly useful when conventional approaches run out of steam. Let’s look at some examples of lateral thinking in action. Situations where an entirely different approach challenged orthodox ideas and led to significant results. We will range from ancient history to modern... Read More--

A Lifeline for Millions

Bill Wilson During the Great Depression of the 1930s when people where hungry, depressed and desperately poor one man had a lateral idea which changed the lives of millions. William Griffith Wilson was born 1895 in Vermont. He served as an officer in World War I, and after the war he worked successfully as a stockbroker and as a salesman. However, a deep-seated restlessness led him into... Read More--

What is Disruptive Thinking?

Disruptive thinking challenges conventional approaches, fosters radical ideas and can lead to transformative innovations. It involves deliberately questioning established norms, encouraging unconventional perspectives, and embracing risks to create breakthrough changes. It is intended to start a revolution. It seeks to overturn the established standards, not for the sake of destruction but... Read More--

The Suspicious Undertaker Who Caused 200,000 Women to Lose their Jobs

Almon Brown Strowger (1839 – 1902) was born near Rochester in New York state. He served with the Union army in the American Civil War. He subsequently became a teacher and then an undertaker in Kansas City Missouri. He was also an inventor. He suspected that his undertaking business was losing clients to a competitor whose wife worked as a telephone operator. Strowger... Read More--

Category: History of Innovation