Poll the Logomyway community and it’s likely that almost all of them would admit to using (or at least lusting after) Apple products. For some reason in the creative industries Apple has become the de facto choice for people to use.
But do you ever stop to think about the design of the logo sitting on the computer, iPad or iPhone that you use day in, day out? It’s an interesting story – and an indication that even the bleedingly-hip company with the beautiful designs can sometimes get it wrong too…
Much as it pains me to say it, this monstrosity was the original Apple logo.
It’s not a fake introduced later on in the company’s history to make fun of the fact that they produce beautiful, graceful and minimalist design. This was real.
Though it might look, with its woodcut style and ruffling banner, like it belongs on the 18th century printing presses, this thing was actually designed in 1976 by Ronald Wayne, sometimes thought of as the third co-founder of Apple (we presume he gets overlooked nowadays because his logo is a source of shame for the company that prides itself on being at the cutting edge of everything.
That’s Isaac Newton sitting under the tree with a gleaming apple above his head, and around the frame of the picture is written ‘Newton… A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.’
It’s not what you want from a company that is supposed to be building the future. Luckily, Steve Jobs realised that this sort of thing wasn’t even good enough for a local town newspaper and canned it quickly.
Rob Janoff was brought in, and produced one of the world’s most recognisable logomarks.
Say hello to the rainbow.
According to Janoff, the bite in the Apple logo was originally implemented so that people would know that it represented an apple, and not a tomato. We reckon that the name of the company should have been a clue to that, but we’re not complaining.
The color was added at Steve Jobs’ insistence so that the whole thing was given a human touch. The reason the green is at the top is – obviously, once you think about it – because an apple has a green leaf, and not a blue or orange or red one.
Weirdly, given Jobs’ insistence on a splash of color, the next design, implemented in 1998 would be a strange step backwards. However, it’s the logo that has remained in use to this very day.
Though this version has a nice bevel, Apple’s designers have been free to play around with the logo.
Take a look at the back of your iPad, if you have one. Right in the center of that cool metal backing is a deep jet black, two dimensional Apple logo.
It looks beautiful, and it’s instantly recognizable. It’s sleek, cunning and cute – and more than a bit stylish. In terms of brand design meeting brand ethos, this is a winner.
