'It’s not red, it’s magenta': How ThinkPad designers gaslit IBM to save the iconic TrackPoint

'It’s not red, it’s magenta': How ThinkPad designers gaslit IBM to save the iconic TrackPoint

“It’s not red,” IBM’s design center manager patiently explained. “It’s magenta.” The safety function officer wasn’t buying it. Between his fingers, he held up a small, rubbery disc that looked like a pencil eraser. “You know it’s red and I know it’s red,” he said. The design manager didn’t back down. He insisted that what the man held was indeed magenta. The safety officer called his boss. The boss called Tom Hardy, Design Program Director at IB…