Who created the Apple logo?
We analyze the history of one of the most recognized logos in the world to find out who created the Apple logo.
The Apple logo has become one of the most recognized logos worldwide. The company behind the apple icon revolutionized the world of technology not only because of its products, but also because of the fresh air that its image represented. It broke in at a time when the brands of computer products gave off a cold and dehumanized halo.
The story of Steve Jobs and his early years at Apple is well known. But who designed the Apple logo? Who made the apple icon to represent the company? We are going to analyze the process that led to the creation of one of the most influential logos in the world.
Apple’s name
Before but, we must know how the name of Apple was chosen to represent the new company created by Steve Jobs. We are located on April 1, 1976 when Apple was founded through a contract signed by three shareholders: Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ron Wayne.
When creating the name, two possibilities were considered: Matrix, in reference to the matrix of dots on a screen and Executek for the ability to execute orders from a computer. Both were not convincing because they were too generic, so they decided to avoid a name that had any relation to technology.
According to Steve Jobs: “I was following one of my fruit diets and had just come back from the apple orchard that I pruned at All One Farm. It sounded fun, energetic and not at all intimidating. The name Apple smoothed out the rough edges of the word ‘Computer’. Also, with that name we would overtake Atari in the phone book. “
At that time, Atari was one of the benchmark companies in a sector that was not yet personal but business. And having a name that began with the first letter of the alphabet was vital for the public to find you in the white pages. Thus, the company was founded as Apple, going so far as to put the name of one of its varieties McIntosh to its computers.
Who designed the first Apple logo
The first Apple logo was made by Ron Wayne, the third and lesser-known co-founder. And it’s because Wayne gave up his 10% stake in the company eleven days after his founding by selling his stake to Jobs and Wozniak for $ 800. Before, he had time to make the first Apple logo. For this he drew Isaac Newton in ink reading under the shade of an apple tree. The company name “Apple Computer Co.” he placed it in a bandana that wrapped the illustration and within the frame of the drawing he had written the William Wordsworth quote: “Newton… A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought… alone.”
It was a complex logo and difficult to reproduce according to what elements. It was too intellectual and presented technical complexities when it came to putting it together. A logo that focused more on Newton than on the company itself was not at all the simplicity that Steve Jobs wanted to avoid any element that would be complicated when it came to understanding the company.
A year later (without Ron Wayne in the company) Steve Jobs went to the Regis McKenna agency to carry out a redesign of the logo.
Who created the Apple logo
Designer Rob Janoff was commissioned to carry out the design. This designer honed his skills in Silicon Valley by completing projects in the high-tech world. In 1977 he started working at the Regis McKenna agency where he was appointed art director. He was assigned the Apple project because of his expertise in technology branding and his ability to visualize abstract concepts.
Upon receiving the order, Janoff went to the supermarket and bought as many apples as he could. At home he analyzed and experimented with the shapes of apples. Within a week he presented Steve Jobs with a monochrome design in which an apple could be seen with a bite. According to Rob Janoff: “The bite is key in the symbol since without it it is very easy to mistake the apple for a cherry or any other fruit.”
Steve Jobs’ only objection was that the apple should have more colors to humanize the company. It was then that Rob Janoff added the rainbow stripes to the design. The design behind that design also wanted to emphasize Apple’s ability to display color images, as well as make the product more attractive to younger students.
The rainbow-colored Apple logo was present until 1998, coinciding with Jobs’ return to Apple. It was decided to dispense with the colors looking for simplification and the famous “less is more”. Although its shape has remained intact since 1977, it has undergone several color and texture changes. It started with a blue version in 1998 to go to a monochromatic one in 2000. A year later they made an “aqua” version and in 2007 a chrome one. Later they replaced it with the current, flat, gray logo.
Rob Janoff continued to work for agencies in New York and Chicago, doing print and television advertising for major national and international brands. Currently Rob Janoff resides in Chicago, he continues working on branding projects in his design studio that you can see here.
