Have you ever noticed that the simplest creations often give the most luxurious feel? Well, if you haven’t, then next time you visit a store, do pay attention. If we can describe one company by the terms simple and opulence in the world of gadgets, it would be Apple for sure. Talking about the revolution in Apple’s logo design, we must say it has achieved a top-notch simplicity level. Yet being a simple logo, it has made a strong impression in the world of technology.
Detangling the story behind Apple’s logo history
The logo at the back of MAC gadgets is a tribute to Alan tuning. He is the mastermind behind the foundation of the modern-day computer.
Early in the year 1981, during a press conference, a question was asked from a journalist about why Steve Jobs choose Apple’s name. To this question, Jobs answered, “I love apples and like to eat them. But the main idea behind Apple is bringing simplicity to the public, with the most sophisticated way, and that’s it, nothing else.” “The fruit of creation, Apple. It was simple but strong. “
According to Janoff (logo designer), the “bite” in the Apple logo was made part of the design illustration so that people would know that it represented an apple and not a cherry tomato. It also reflects the technology term byte, a fitting reference for a tech company.
Let’s discuss the Apple Logo Evolution — it all Started With a Fruit.
Newton’s frame: 1976-1976
The tale of Apple’s logo started in the early days of 1976. It was designed by Ronald Wayne, one of the co-founders of the company. The concept that was depicted in the logo was based on the law of gravity. The first artwork representing the computer company was great scientist Isaac Newton, the man who discovered the law of gravity. Moreover, a poem was also incorporated in the logo. Unfortunately, this logo did not last very long. This logo only lasted for a year.
The Rainbow Sequence: 1976-1988
After creating the 1st logo, one of the three co-founders of this company, Steve Jobs, was not satisfied for many reasons. So he hired a graphic designer Rob Janoff to create something wow and significant for the company. Rob Janoff was a well-known designer at that time, so now you can tell that indeed he had excellent ideas in his mind. Moreover, Rob Janoff stated when he was asked about the creative process; he said, “It was very simple really. I just bought a bunch of apples, put them in a bowl, and drew them for a week or so to simplify the shape.”
Janoff’s first creation was a composition of the rainbow and bitten apple. The colors were not used according to the rainbow’s actual color sequence; instead, it holds a nice blend of warm and cool tones. Janoff mentioned that there was no specific reason or define rhyme behind the placement of the colors themselves, not like that Jobs wanted to have green at the top “because that’s where the leaf was.”
The company used the multi-colored Apple logo for 22 years before it was replaced on the decision of Steve Jobs less than a year after his return to Apple in 1997.
The Monochromatic Addition: 1998-Present
This logo’s color theme modernized afterward, consisting of a monochromatic look, and has taken on various sizes and colors over the past few years. The main reason behind this change was their first-ever iMac, the Bondi Blue. Steve Jobs thought that the rainbow color would not do justice with their new invention of iMac.
After a monochromatic theme, the company came up with the idea of a silver metallic look. It was considered the most advanced version of Apple’s logo. It stayed from 2002-2007.
After that, the “Glass” themed logo was the next big turn for the logo. Today, the Apple Company used a more modernized flat “Minimal” Apple logo. The logo can be seen mainly in three colors; silver, white, and black. The millennial Apple logo is now one of the polished and prosperous-looking symbols globally, just as famous or even more than McDonald’s yellow arches. Steve Jobs’s decision to hire Janoff and go for a minimal style logo (which is currently in fashion and may have started the “flat” logo craze) was indeed a brilliant idea of the brilliant minded founder. Steve Jobs wants everyone at Apple to “think different” as he believed in the box idea concept.
Summary
The evolution of Apple’s logo tells it all. The logo plays a significant role in the company’s profile build-up. Readers can tell that the bitten apple logo may have had quite a history, a history whose sections remain unknown to people. However, this unrelieved depth of history of the logo has not stopped it from being recognized worldwide. The company does not even have to print its name alongside the logo.
Jean-Louis Gassée, former Apple executive and founder of BeOS, quoted about the logo:
“One of the deep mysteries to me is our logo, the symbol of lust and knowledge, bitten into, all crossed with the colors of the rainbow in the wrong order. You couldn’t dream a more appropriate logo: lust, knowledge, hope, and anarchy”.
As trends are changing, designers are more focusing on how to get a minimal look. The users and designers both believe in the simplicity of the logo. We hope this article of history will help the readers who are designing how important it is to grow with the evolution of technology. Many great logo designing companies like Logozila, believes in creating something that holds the minimalist property and has simplicity in the design. You cannot think about one design and choose it as final logo. Designers in companies often use the 40-box rule to choose one brilliant idea. The logo process is time-consuming; grabbing ideas from things around you in real life helps a lot while brainstorming, just like Rob did for Apple’s logo. If you are willing to design a logo for any reason, we would suggest checking out the history of the world’s famous logos as you read about Apple’s logo history in this article.
