The History of the Trapper Keeper
Erin McCarthy (via Khoi Vinh):
For about a year, Crutchfield conducted interviews and focus groups, tweaking the design of the Trapper Keeper along the way. “There were probably five or six iterations,” he says. And once he was happy with the result—a PVC binder with plastic, pinchless rings (they slid open to the side instead of snapping open), a clip that held a pad and a pencil, and flap held firmly closed by a snap—it was time to run a test market, which would help them determine if the product was truly viable.
I remember specifically not choosing Trapper Keepers when shopping for school supplies, but I don’t recall why. Possibly, they didn’t then have D-rings.
"I remember specifically not choosing Trapper Keepers when shopping for school supplies, but I don’t recall why."
Damn. It was the PowerBook for Kids of its day.
It paved the way for Filofax...