Redesign of the thumbtack

While working on my undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, my team and I were challenged with reinventing an ordinary product and develop a viable business plan to support it. The end result was the redesign of the thumbtack. Focusing on our target demographic, college students, we took a product we were all familiar with and set out to improve it by focusing on a few key differentiators.

The idea of the two prongs was a happy accident. When the studio doors would open from the outside, a huge rush of air would flow into the rooms, causing all the papers to fly around. With two pins, instead of one, the paper doesnt move while using less pins. The curved outer shape was more ergonomic and easier on the fingers while the horseshoe design allowed for the stringing of cords, lights, etc through the middle, perfect for college students decorating their dorm rooms, apartments or studios.

We leveraged the resources at the University to file both a utility and design patent, along with identifying potential manufacturers for the thumbtack. It was featured in IDSA magazine, won a GOLD IDEA award and sold at several major retailers. It was a great team experience and proud of the work we were able to achieve.