Apple Industrial Design Group
Encyclopedia
The Apple Industrial Design Group (IDg) is the industrial design
arm of Apple Inc. responsible for crafting the appearance of all Apple products, including the Apple Macintosh computer line.
hired Jerry Manock
to design the enduring Apple II
case. Jobs was notoriously obsessed with design and style, rumored to linger over appliances at Macy's
for inspiration and together with Manock set about establishing the design language that would be used by Apple for the next 10 years.
In addition to the Apple II, Manock came to manage Apple Design Guild which consisted of a loose band of in-house designers, among them Bill Dresselhaus, responsible for the Lisa. It was from this group that a project called "Snow White
" emerged. The importance that Jobs put on appearance led to a desire to begin the search for a "world-class" designer to give Apple a uniform design language. It was Manock's suggestion that it be made a contest and proceeded to solicit designers from the pages of magazines.
came to Apple and created a unique design language which took the project's code-name and helped establish Apple with a serious corporate image. Though Esslinger originally created a design for the Macintosh, it wasn't until the Apple IIc
that Apple would first introduce the new design language. From the introduction of the Apple II through the Macintosh Plus
, Apple's products favored a beige-like color scheme of differing shades. The Apple IIc was the first to introduce a product with a lighter, creamy off-white color, known in-house as "Frog" (though Esslinger originally argued for bright-white), a color that would persist in all Snow White design language
products until the introduction of the Apple IIGS
in late 1986, which marked a turning point in the unification of Apple products. Apple selected a warm gray color they called "Platinum" for the IIGS and all subsequent computers until the introduction of the iMac in 1998 (although a darker shade of gray was adopted for the PowerBook line and various peripherals).
The original Macintosh
was designed by Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama with ample guidance from Steve Jobs. In doing so, they unwittingly created an enduring iconic design which continues to comprise the basic Macintosh design elements to this day. Despite its various redressing in "Snow White" details (such as the Macintosh SE
), all the way to the translucent iMac, there is no mistaking the legacy imparted by the original Macintosh design. Sadly, Manock having worked 90-hour weeks and along with the rest of the Mac team was exhausted and he failed to register the Macintoshes in time for the design award consideration. Esslinger would not make the same mistake with the SE and ultimately received the recognition denied Manock, which often led to Esslinger being credited with the original design of the Macintosh, a perception Esslinger and frog design
rarely corrected. However, by the end of 1985, Steve Jobs would resign from Apple and Hartmut Esslinger and his frog design team would not be far behind, along with their expensive fee.
except portable computer devices design projects led by Kazuo Kawasaki
. Though many of the new designs reflected the legacy of Esslinger's Snow White language, the new design group began to rapidly move toward its own direction, which can be clearly seen in landmark products such as the Macintosh Color Classic
. The list of innovative designs which clearly defined Apple products in the marketplace continued through the 90s.
in 1998 also drew on some of the iconic elements of the original Macintosh, such as the all-in-one format and top-mounted handle.
The current design language adopted by Apple can be split into two aspects: a white or black color scheme, usually with a glossy texture and plastic cases; and a brushed aluminum and glass look. The former is exclusively used for consumer products, such as the MacBook and iPod, while the latter is mainly used in professional products such as the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro. However, the most recent revisions of the iMac, iPad, and iPod lines have adopted the aluminum of the professional line with sleek black elements. Apple, with assistance from Foxconn
, went so far as to develop a unibody water-milling process in order to achieve sharp lines and graceful curves as well as end-to-end structural stability from their aluminum products. Both looks often use basic rectilinear forms modified with slight contours and rounded edges.
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
arm of Apple Inc. responsible for crafting the appearance of all Apple products, including the Apple Macintosh computer line.
History
Apple industrial design was established in April 1977 when Steve JobsSteve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
hired Jerry Manock
Jerry Manock
Jerrold C. Manock is an American industrial designer. He worked for Apple Computer from 1977 to 1984, contributing to housing designs for the Apple II, Apple III, and earlier compact Apple Macintosh computers. Manock is widely regarded as the "father" of the Apple Industrial Design Group...
to design the enduring Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
case. Jobs was notoriously obsessed with design and style, rumored to linger over appliances at Macy's
Macy's West
Macy's West was a longtime division of Macy's, Inc. , representing one of the New York-based department store chain's earliest notable acquisitions and westward expansions...
for inspiration and together with Manock set about establishing the design language that would be used by Apple for the next 10 years.
In addition to the Apple II, Manock came to manage Apple Design Guild which consisted of a loose band of in-house designers, among them Bill Dresselhaus, responsible for the Lisa. It was from this group that a project called "Snow White
Snow White design language
The Snow White design language was an industrial design language developed by Hartmut Esslinger's Frog Design. Used by Apple Computer from 1984 to 1990, the scheme has vertical and horizontal stripes for decoration, ventilation, and the illusion that the computer enclosure is smaller than it...
" emerged. The importance that Jobs put on appearance led to a desire to begin the search for a "world-class" designer to give Apple a uniform design language. It was Manock's suggestion that it be made a contest and proceeded to solicit designers from the pages of magazines.
Frog Design
It was out of this contest that Hartmut EsslingerHartmut Esslinger
Hartmut Esslinger is a German-American industrial designer and inventor. He is known for his design company Frogdesign, particularly his work for Apple Computer in the 1980s.-Life and career:...
came to Apple and created a unique design language which took the project's code-name and helped establish Apple with a serious corporate image. Though Esslinger originally created a design for the Macintosh, it wasn't until the Apple IIc
Apple IIc
The Apple IIc, the fourth model in the Apple II series of personal computers, was Apple Computer’s first endeavor to produce a portable computer. The end result was a notebook-sized version of the Apple II that could be transported from place to place...
that Apple would first introduce the new design language. From the introduction of the Apple II through the Macintosh Plus
Macintosh Plus
The Macintosh Plus computer was the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of US$2599...
, Apple's products favored a beige-like color scheme of differing shades. The Apple IIc was the first to introduce a product with a lighter, creamy off-white color, known in-house as "Frog" (though Esslinger originally argued for bright-white), a color that would persist in all Snow White design language
Snow White design language
The Snow White design language was an industrial design language developed by Hartmut Esslinger's Frog Design. Used by Apple Computer from 1984 to 1990, the scheme has vertical and horizontal stripes for decoration, ventilation, and the illusion that the computer enclosure is smaller than it...
products until the introduction of the Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
in late 1986, which marked a turning point in the unification of Apple products. Apple selected a warm gray color they called "Platinum" for the IIGS and all subsequent computers until the introduction of the iMac in 1998 (although a darker shade of gray was adopted for the PowerBook line and various peripherals).
The original Macintosh
Macintosh 128K
The Macintosh 128K machine, released as the "Apple Macintosh", was the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. Its beige case contained a monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. An indentation in the top of the case made it easier for the computer to be lifted and carried. It had a selling...
was designed by Jerry Manock and Terry Oyama with ample guidance from Steve Jobs. In doing so, they unwittingly created an enduring iconic design which continues to comprise the basic Macintosh design elements to this day. Despite its various redressing in "Snow White" details (such as the Macintosh SE
Macintosh SE
The Macintosh SE was a personal computer manufactured by Apple between March 1987 and October 1990. This computer marked a significant improvement on the Macintosh Plus design and was introduced by Apple at the same time as the Macintosh II....
), all the way to the translucent iMac, there is no mistaking the legacy imparted by the original Macintosh design. Sadly, Manock having worked 90-hour weeks and along with the rest of the Mac team was exhausted and he failed to register the Macintoshes in time for the design award consideration. Esslinger would not make the same mistake with the SE and ultimately received the recognition denied Manock, which often led to Esslinger being credited with the original design of the Macintosh, a perception Esslinger and frog design
Frog design inc.
Frog is a global innovation firm founded in 1969 by industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger and partners Andreas Haug and Georg Spreng in Mutlangen, Germany as "Esslinger Design". Soon after it moved to Altensteig, Germany, and then to Palo Alto, California, and ultimately to its current...
rarely corrected. However, by the end of 1985, Steve Jobs would resign from Apple and Hartmut Esslinger and his frog design team would not be far behind, along with their expensive fee.
Reformation
By the early 1990s, Apple discovered that the Snow White language that had served them so well through the 80s was being copied by its generic IBM PC competitors, causing Apple to lose some of its unique identity. With the move away from frog design, Apple chose to bring all industrial design in-house by creating the Apple Industrial Design Group, headed by Robert BrunnerRobert Brunner
Robert Brunner is an American industrial designer, most notably known for design work for Apple Computer in the early 1990s.- Biography :Brunner received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from San José State University in 1981. After working as a designer and project manager at...
except portable computer devices design projects led by Kazuo Kawasaki
Kazuo Kawasaki
Ph.D is a Japanese industrial designer, born in Fukui Prefecture in 1949. He graduated from Kanazawa College of Art in 1972.Kawasaki is a professor at Osaka University and a visiting professor at Tama Art University and Kanazawa Institute of Technology...
. Though many of the new designs reflected the legacy of Esslinger's Snow White language, the new design group began to rapidly move toward its own direction, which can be clearly seen in landmark products such as the Macintosh Color Classic
Macintosh Color Classic
The Macintosh Color Classic was the first color compact Apple Macintosh computer. It had an integrated 10″ Sony Trinitron color display with the same 512×384 pixel resolution as the Macintosh 12″ RGB monitor...
. The list of innovative designs which clearly defined Apple products in the marketplace continued through the 90s.
Jobs' Return
Steve Jobs' return in 1997 ushered in a new era for Apple design, drawing on the curvy style developed over the preceding 7 years and infusing it with vibrant color and translucent details. The launch of the iMacIMac
The iMac is a range of all-in-one Macintosh desktop computers built by Apple. It has been the primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings since its introduction in 1998, and has evolved through five distinct forms....
in 1998 also drew on some of the iconic elements of the original Macintosh, such as the all-in-one format and top-mounted handle.
The current design language adopted by Apple can be split into two aspects: a white or black color scheme, usually with a glossy texture and plastic cases; and a brushed aluminum and glass look. The former is exclusively used for consumer products, such as the MacBook and iPod, while the latter is mainly used in professional products such as the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro. However, the most recent revisions of the iMac, iPad, and iPod lines have adopted the aluminum of the professional line with sleek black elements. Apple, with assistance from Foxconn
Foxconn
The Foxconn Technology Group is a multinational business group anchored by the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. , a Taiwan-registered corporation headquartered in Tucheng, Taiwan...
, went so far as to develop a unibody water-milling process in order to achieve sharp lines and graceful curves as well as end-to-end structural stability from their aluminum products. Both looks often use basic rectilinear forms modified with slight contours and rounded edges.
Apple designers
| Designer | Dates |
|---|---|
| Jerry Manock Jerry Manock Jerrold C. Manock is an American industrial designer. He worked for Apple Computer from 1977 to 1984, contributing to housing designs for the Apple II, Apple III, and earlier compact Apple Macintosh computers. Manock is widely regarded as the "father" of the Apple Industrial Design Group... |
1977–1984 |
| Bill Dresselhaus | 1979–1983 |
| Terry Oyama | 1980–1983 |
| Rob Gemmel | 1981–1985 |
| Hartmut Esslinger Hartmut Esslinger Hartmut Esslinger is a German-American industrial designer and inventor. He is known for his design company Frogdesign, particularly his work for Apple Computer in the 1980s.-Life and career:... |
1982–1989 |
| Richard Jordan | 1978–1990 |
| Jim Stewart | 1980–1984, 1987–1994 |
| Robert Brunner Robert Brunner Robert Brunner is an American industrial designer, most notably known for design work for Apple Computer in the early 1990s.- Biography :Brunner received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from San José State University in 1981. After working as a designer and project manager at... |
1989–1997 |
| Jonathan Ive Jonathan Ive Jonathan "Jony" Ive, CBE is an English designer and the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. He is the leading designer and conceptual mind behind the iMac, titanium and aluminum PowerBook G4, G4 Cube, MacBook, unibody MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.- Early... |
1997–present |
See also
- Apple Human Interface Group
- Apple Icon Family
- Design languageDesign languageA design language or design vocabulary is an overarching scheme or style that guides the design of a complement of products or architectural settings...
- Human interface guidelinesHuman Interface GuidelinesHuman interface guidelines are software development documents which offer application developers a set of recommendations. Their aim is to improve the experience for the users by making application interfaces more intuitive, learnable, and consistent. Most guides limit themselves to defining a...
- AppleTalk Connector FamilyLocalTalkLocalTalk is a particular implementation of the physical layer of the AppleTalk networking system from Apple Computer. LocalTalk specifies a system of shielded twisted pair cabling, plugged into self-terminating transceivers, running at a rate of 230.4 kbit/s...
- Susan KareSusan KareSusan Kare is an artist and graphic designer who created many of the interface elements for the Apple Macintosh in the 1980s. She was also one of the original employees of NeXT , working as the Creative Director.-Background:Kare was born in Ithaca, New York and is the sister of aerospace engineer...
- Apple Inc. design motifs