It is almost too much of a cliché that creative processes include lots of post-its. We’ve even written about our addiction to those flappy fellows before. However, they are really useful and when used properly can ignite most creative sessions. It’s actually quite apt that the post-it invention it self celebrates the very innovative process for which it’s mostly used. Here’s the story (quote from Wikipedia) about Art Fry, the man behind the Post-it, and how he came up with the idea:

“As the legend goes, Fry was in church when he came up with the perfect application. Fry sang in his church choir on weekends, and he used slips of paper to mark the pages of his hymnal. When the book was opened, however, the makeshift bookmarks often moved around or fell out altogether. On a Sunday in 1974, it occurred to him that Silver’s adhesive could be put to use to create a better bookmark. If it could be coated on paper, Silver’s adhesive would hold a bookmark in place without damaging the page on which it was placed.

The next day, Fry requested a sample of the adhesive. He began experimenting, coating only one edge of the paper so that the portion extending from a book would not be sticky. Fry used some of his experiments to write notes to his boss. This use led him to broaden his original idea into the concept that became the Post-It note.”

At Seismonaut we use them almost everyday, but I have never seen more creative applications of the notes than this video from a student as a senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Check it out – it’s absolutely awe-inspiring.