My wife, who uses a straw when drinking sodas, pointed out to me the central hole in the aluminum can’s tab can be used to stabilize her straw.
But was the second, more central hole in the tab of the aluminum soda can designed specifically to hold a straw?
No, per Daniel Cudzik, the engineer from Reynolds Metals who designed and patented it. (The purpose of the design was to keep the tab with the can to minimize waste and replace the old pull tab. See this vintage Alcoa video to see what it replaced.)
But how fortuitous for those who need it!
Having been an engineer in my pre-physician and pre-writer days, I still love finding design tidbits like this, but more importantly, it makes me reflect on the various designs of our current electronic health records (EHRs). There’s an elegance and beauty to the soda can tab—a simplicity of function, and a minimalistic approach. Its design borders on art. Can anyone say the same about the current EHRS? Where’s our Daniel Cudzik?