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Bright ideas. Dark outcomes.

Good Ideas Gone Horribly Wrong

Promising concepts meet actual people, actual habits, and actual consequences. The pitch sounded wonderful. The exhibit tells the rest.

A shattered lightbulb illustrated in vintage engraved ink

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Improve a beloved drink. Put computing in your line of sight. Reinvent the commute. Launch the next great car. Make cola look like the future.

These exhibits explore the gap between an appealing proposition and an outcome people actually wanted. They did not all fail for the same reason, and a useful niche can survive a wildly overambitious promise. That is what makes the collection worth opening.

Five ideas. Five cautionary tales.

New Coke

New Coke

Research confirmed people liked the taste. The market confirmed they wanted Coke.

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Google Glass Explorer Edition

Google Glass Explorer Edition

Google put a camera on your face, charged $1,500, and asked society to beta-test the etiquette.

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Segway PT

Segway PT

The Segway was introduced as transportation that might reorganize urban life. It found a durable niche with tour groups, security guards, and people explaining…

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Ford Edsel

Ford Edsel

A new brand introduced just as America entered a recession.

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