Filed under: Apple Corporate, Apple History
Interview with Apple logo designer Rob Janoff
There's a great interview at CreativeBits today with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo. That simple Apple with the chunk bitten out is as iconic as the company and products it represents. The logo has undergone several tweaks over the years, from the original rainbow to the aqua version that accompanied the original iMacs to the glassy version we see today.Fanatics will remember that the logo was introduced with the Apple II in 1977. Rob talks about this and other insights into the design's history, like the fact that he originally presented only two versions of the logo to the Steves (Jobs and Wozniak): One with and one without the "bite." Other tidbits include why the original design had stripes and what the bite really represents. It's an interview worth reading.
Rob has been interviewed many times before, naturally -- see these past conversations for more insight.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ken Cohen said 3:21PM on 8-03-2009
The stripes are the 6 colours (colors) my Apple Plus does its graphics in. The bite can be taken literally, or as representative of the digital byte (who remembers Byte magazine?) or more symbolically as a manifestation of the human desire for knowledge (based on the story of Genesis). And I’m sure there are plenty of other interpretations.
Or maybe one of the Steves just happened to be eating an apple at the time.
Reply
Michael Hodges said 3:49PM on 8-03-2009
Did you actually read the article?
"I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple not a cherry. Also it was kind of iconic about taking a bite out of an apple. Something that everyone can experience. It goes across cultures. If anybody ever had an apple he probably bitten into it and that's what you get."
themightyquinn4 said 4:01PM on 8-03-2009
They also stole the apple sign from The Beatles, which was their original logo for their record label. This is why you do not see any of The Beatles songs on iTunes.
Reply
bob said 4:19PM on 8-03-2009
other than being an apple they are nothing alike.
ipodrulz said 5:30PM on 8-03-2009
The reason the company is called Apple is because Steve Jobs loved spending time at an Apple orchard way back.
Both logos are Apples yes... but one's 3D and in full colour (more like a photo). While one is 2D ... and not like a photo.
cscwebman said 7:10AM on 8-04-2009
idiot
ramkanda said 7:27PM on 8-03-2009
Great article. As an Art Director myself, it's always nice to hear someone who clearly loves the work. I'm an avid Mac user at home, but I use a PC at work (standard issue).
This brings up this question. I always hear that "Macs are better for graphics". I've never had someone explain to me why this is. I do love the Mac platform more, but I am just as proficient (maybe more so, because of the practice) on the PC.
In fact, I do have a couple bugaboos about Adobe's products on the Mac... I don't know if this is updated for CS4, but in the CS3 Mac version of illustrator, you can't toggle between your fonts with just your up and down keys, to see how they work in context. I still don't think Mac Photoshop can address any more than 3 GB of RAM... just to name a couple.
Reply
Nathan Smith said 5:07AM on 8-04-2009
Anyone else notice the "Turing was also a fag and thus the colors of the fag rainbow flag." in the linked wiki article?
Reply
cscwebman said 7:10AM on 8-04-2009
idiot x2
J said 5:15AM on 8-04-2009
So where does Paul Rand figure in the design of the Apple logo???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb8idEf-Iak
Reply
companylgs said 8:11AM on 8-14-2009
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and computer software products.
Nice Blog
Reply
companylgs said 8:17AM on 8-14-2009
Professional Logo, Nice Blog and the interview is great
Post by http://www.companylogos.ws/
Reply
Matt Etchells said 9:07AM on 8-20-2009
great theories, but the correct one to what the apple is in relation to is Sir Isaac Newton and the infamous apple hitting his head bringing about the theory of gravitation. hence why the apple named their early pda "Newton".
if you have ever seen apple stock or the original company logo , it has the a illustration of Sir Isaac Newton and the apple hanging from the apple tree with a glowing aura illuminating it .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apple_first_logo.png
-Matt Etchells
Reply
netmarketlinks said 9:50PM on 9-20-2009
if you have ever seen apple stock or the original company logo , it has the a illustration of Sir Isaac Newton and the apple hanging from the apple tree with a glowing aura illuminating it .
http://www.methoo.com
Reply