Why the Collaborative Innovation of the Clickable Hyperlink Is Such an Important Yet Underrated Tool

In a viniculous episode of the TED original series Small Things, Big Idea, product design expert Margaret Gould Stewart explains why the innovation of the clickable hyperlink was indeed a very big deal even though its existence is taken for granted in current times. She also shares the history of the hyperlink and its various iterations, stressing how this idea was developed over many generation by a great many people.

The hyperlink almost feels like a LEGO block, this very basic building block to a very complex web of connections, Because of the way that hyperlinks were first constructed, they were intended to be not only used by many people, but created by many people. To me, it’s one of the most democratic designs ever created.