The Apple "Think Different" test: CLICK THIS LINK

Quote: Corporate Design Program



In the mid-1950s, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., was struck by how poorly IBM was handling corporate design. He hired design consultant Eliot Noyes to oversee the creation of a formal Corporate Design Program, and charged Noyes with creating a consistent, world class look and feel at IBM. Over the next two decades Noyes hired a host of influential architects, designers, and artists to design IBM products, structures, exhibits and graphics. The list of Noyes contacts includes such iconic figures as Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, John Bolles, Paul Rand, Isamu Noguchi and Alexander Calder.[39]

Quote: Others, like author Sadie Plant of Zeroes and Ones, considers the Apple logo as homage to Alan Turning, the father of modern computing, who committed suicide using a cyanide-laced apple.

Ever wonder about the origins of the IBM logo?In this post I'll talk a bit about Paul Rand, IBM's design philosophy, Apple logo history, and see how Keyboard companies are doing in the design front. But first it's time to take...You have 5 minutes to type in the last name of all those people (the quiz will autofill in the name if correct).Didn't do so hot? You're not alone. However if you got less than 10/20 you need to get out more. Notice that Paul Rand is dead last of recognized innovators. Let's fix that.It started when I happened to pick up a IBM mug on Ebay. Researching the mug I got interested in the design and found a vintage T-shirt from some company event.And well, one thing led to another.The symbols are known as a Rebus . Paul Rand produced it for a IBM conference. Became so famous it is now at the Museum of Modern Art. Now before IBM became a boring Service and Software company they were the hipster Google of the day. Instead of ping pong tables though it was white shirt and tie. Design was always a big part of IBM culture though. From Wikipedia:The evolution of the IBM logo:is shown in this slideshow. Notice that Paul Rand designed the logo with a new font, City Medium, and later introduced the famous 8 stripe version you see today (although a few 13 stripers seem to have escaped into the wild on some System 360s ).Then the trick with a monster sized company like IBM is to drive common design elements throughout the product packaging and publicationsHe went on to design:whoops!Paul Rand was most closely associated with IBM but got to know Steve Jobs as part of another Logo design project. The NeXT computer.Front page of the product brochure.Back pageJobs was so impressed by Paul Rand's work that he featured him in one of the "Think Different" ads.And an interview he did about working with Paul Rand at NeXTLogos tend to evolve. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.Apple? Another interesting history. Or Microsoft?Or Intel?ugh - how bland - designed by committee look. Hey, I LIKED the dropped E.Not IBM. Same Logo today.How is the current state of affairs in the Keyboard world?HHKB - Not all that happy looking. Plus I think NOODLES when I see it.Realforce - Not bad but then I like Times New RomanFilco - Still looks and sounds like a gas stationiRocks - iOwww! iStopit!Unicomp - Ackkkk!!!Paul Rand made a Classic Logo that fits a Classic Keyboard.and a website devoted to his work done by fellow designer. Lenovo used to ship a screensaver (link) with the Thinkpad with the Eye-Bee-M logo.For Firefox there is a Persona here. Most of the things in the picture of mugs/t-shirts/signs etc. I picked up on Ebay. However the T-shirt (with IBM logo on sleeve versus the older version without logo on sleeve), the hoody, the hat and finally a nifty little magnetic bookmark are all available from the IBM Logo Merchandise Store. Just CheckOut like you normally wood and designate yourself a "Business Partner". Tell IBM Paul Rand sent ya.Fun pics from other Flickr users.And finally, a BP Oil Spill Homage.