Talk:Phil Patton

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. You can locate your hook here. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by TarnishedPath talk 06:39, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

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• Comment or view
• Article history

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• ... that freelance journalist Phil Patton authored an essay on polystyrene coffee cup lids in 1996, noting that their design reveals the "vast machinery of modern culture"?

• Source: “Gathering them up one day in an unaccustomed fit of neatness,” he wrote in his design blog in 2011, “I noticed how many varieties there were, and how complex the combination of instructions and indications on them, how various and intricate the devices for opening and locking back flaps — in short, how intensely designed they were. Trivial? Not at all. “Coffee lids,” he continued, “show the whole vast machinery of modern culture.” https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/business/phil-patton-scrutinizer-of-the-mundane-is-dead-at-63.html

• • ALT1: ... that freelance journalist Phil Patton 's collection of polystyrene coffee cup lids was featured in a 2007 Cincinnati Art Museum exhibition entitled Caution: Contents Hot? Source: In 2007, Patton’s collection was put on display at the Cincinnati Museum of Art. Press materials for the exhibition, which was titled “Caution: Contents Hot!”, drew attention to highlights of the genre: For example, the Solo Traveler lid was designed to accommodate the nose and lip of a drinker. In accomplishing this design goal, the necessary height of the lid made it useful for foam-topped gourmet coffees. Visitors will also see the McDonald’s lid, which is the only lid that features Braille markings for “decaf” and “other.” https://www.ediblegeography.com/the-evolution-of-lids/
  • ALT2: ... that freelance journalist Phil Patton, for his essay in Car and Driver, "In Praise of Knobs," learned that Audi's haptics engineers studied the sound of their dashboard switches to develop "the Audi Click"? Source: However, the ultimate knob experts may be Audi’s knob gnomes, researchers who are part of the company’s haptics team, which focuses on sensory—especially touch—experiences, in Ingolstadt, Germany. The knob gnomes are proof that car knobs have become more than simple utilitarian controls; they are now elements of brand differentiation. Jaguar’s shift knob rises dramatically from the console on startup, and Audi is proud of what it calls the “Audi click.” https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15114078/phil-patton-in-praise-of-knobs-column/
  • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Zachary Fisk
  • Comment: Word is that Patton also judged a opossum beauty contest, but I haven't found a bona fide source... yet, lol.

Created by 842U (talk). Number of QPQs required: 1. Nominator has 12 past nominations.

842U (talk) 14:57, 1 October 2025 (UTC).

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy compliance:

• Adequate sourcing: - Couple of citation needed tags from me
• Neutral:
• Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
Cited: Interesting:

QPQ: Done.

Overall: Couple of cn tags I added that need to be addressed. ALT1 is the most interesting (note for other reviewers, the source is actually just a repost of a The Atlantic article by the writer), but I think it could do with some condensing, perhaps:

ALT1b: that Phil Patton's collection of coffee cup lids was featured in the Cincinnati Art Museum? Based5290 :3 (talk) 22:48, 1 October 2025 (UTC)

I've removed the unsourced material. I like ALt1b, would suggest including his profession in an Alt1c"

ALT1c: that freelance journalist Phil Patton's collection of coffee cup lids was featured in the Cincinnati Art Museum? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 842U (talk • contribs) 14:04, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

ALT1c approved. Based5290 :3 (talk) 18:21, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

Update: Would it be possible to include this image of Phil Patton's coffee cup lids; it has now been approved for use by a VRT. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coffeecup_sized-735550.jpg Thanks 842U (talk) 18:04, 10 October 2025 (UTC)

Picture is freely licensed, used in the article, and clear. For promoter:

ALT1d ...that freelance journalist Phil Patton's collection of coffee cup lids (pictured) was featured in the Cincinnati Art Museum?

Based5290 :3 (talk) 18:21, 10 October 2025 (UTC)