How a pen changed the world
In an age where people are obsessed with innovation, it’s easy to overlook the quiet genius of something as ordinary as a pen. But the BIC Cristal is no ordinary object: it is a monument to functional design, a triumph of accessibility, and arguably the most revolutionary tool most people will ever use without thinking twice about. The BIC Cristal has no buttons, no circuitry, and no moving parts. It doesn’t update, crash, or require a manual. And yet, this simple, clear-bodied pen has become one of the most successful, widely distributed, and profoundly impactful products in human history. How did such a modest tool achieve such massive cultural and technological significance? What made it so perfect that it hasn’t needed to evolve in decades? And, perhaps more importantly, how did it transform the world through something as small as the tip of a pen? Click through this gallery to find out.
2025-04-24T11:11:26Z