Rob Janoff and the Creation of the Apple Logo
Rob Janoff started his career as a graphic designer at a public relations agency called Regis McKenna. But what he's best known for is his simplistic yet easily recognizable creation of the Apple logo. In 1977, he was the new newest hire and therefore got the job no one wanted: designing a logo for free. The only request he received from Steve Jobs was: "Don't make it cute." So with a bag of apples on his desk he sat and waited for inspiration to strike. The idea to add a bite to the image was an afterthought to ensure that viewers would know that it was an apple and not a tomato. Janoff also agrees that the bite is a clever play on words with a computer "byte."
Many people question whether the logo was created on a computer. But it was created in the standard way of that time simply with a pencil and paper, and physically cutting and pasting. Janoff presented two versions of his drawing to Jobs, one with and one without a bite. He hoped that Jobs wouldn't turn down his apple with a bite as he felt it had more personality but feared that it would be perceived as "cute." And the rest is history.
So if the opportunity to design a logo for free ever presents itself, think twice about turning it down!
Interview with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo
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Rob Janoff and the Creation of the Apple Logo
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