The THINK motto was ubiquitous within IBM offices and factories throughout the world by the 1930s, and began attracting notice outside the company within the same decade. IBM was deluged with requests from the public for its iconic THINK signs, and from customers who wanted to use them in their own businesses. In 1948, IBM handed out 9000 signs; by 1960 that number had jumped to 20,000. In the decades that followed—as Watson’s progressive vision of the engaged and intelligent worker continued to find widespread resonance—the THINK sign became a common adornment of the average American desk and an enduring fixture of business culture.
The spread of THINK
The early THINK sign was printed in black Cheltenham Bold capital letters on a white background. The sign came in two sizes; the smaller was seven inches long and three inches high, and was designed to hang on a wall or sit on a desk in a special wooden stand.
Think magazine
Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker graced the cover of the first issue of IBM’s monthly employee magazine,Think, which debuted in June 1935. Content included pieces by leading academics, scientists, politicians, businessmen and other “thinkers” of the day, as well as photographs of art exhibits and articles by Watson Sr. about IBM’s values. In addition to its internal circulation, Watson sent Think to customers and prominent societal figures. Circulation totaled around 60,000 in 1935, and climbed to 360,000 across 65 countries by the 1990s, the last decade it was published.
Five steps of knowledge at Endicott
The IBM Schoolhouse, dedicated in 1933 at the Engineering Laboratory in Endicott, New York, hosted numerous training courses for IBM employees. Watson was steadfast in his belief that progress was born from learning and reflection, and that a knowledgeable workforce could help IBM make the greatest positive difference in the world. He espoused the concept of the “five steps of knowledge”—that “we must study through reading, listening, discussing, observing and thinking.” The five steps are engraved on the stone steps of the schoolhouse.
Employees in 1935 at the IBM schoolhouse and engineering facility in Endicott, where “THINK” adorned the building’s entrance.
The original THINK pad
In another reinforcement of the THINK slogan, Watson Sr. arranged for the production of embossed leather-covered notepads to distribute to employees. IBM also gave away the notepads on request, distributing about 250,000 annually by 1960. The notepad was the inspiration behind the naming of IBM’s best-selling laptop computer, the ThinkPad, which hit the market in 1992. Pictured above is a modern-day replica of the original THINK notepad.
By 1950, THINK signs had been printed in the local languages of IBM offices in 79 countries.
IBM employees in India with a THINK sign in 1956.
An early THINK desktop sign is on display with IBM mainframes in the background.
A Portuguese THINK sign hangs above the chalkboard at IBM offices in Brazil during an electric typewriter demonstration for salesmen and typists.
The reception area of an IBM Japan office in 1966 included a THINK sign.