Maggie's Graphic Arts Blog: Corporate Identity and Visual Systems

Corporate Identity and Visual Systems

Maggie Merkin

ARTH 230-01

T. Long

“Good design is good business” became the phrase to live by for graphic designers during the post world war years. Productive capacity had turned toward consumer goods, and many artists and people in general believed in the possibility of unending economic expansion and prosperity. Corporate entities saw this as the time to invest in the skills and talent of good graphic designers to design their strong, corporate logos. This would enhance their image and identity for diverse audiences, as design was seen as a major way to enhance a reputation and express to possible clientele that a certain corporation was reliable and of great quality. Visual identification systems began to really take off in the 1950’s, and many post-war visual identifications for specific corporations were made possible by the efforts of strong individual designers who put their personal tastes and styles into the designed images. Today, one such corporation has seen the various styles and design aesthetics applied to their own logo. Apple Inc. has had an iconic symbol for its corporation, the apple. While there are many theories as to why the logo is an apple, one I particularly enjoyed hearing and learning about was the logo having attributions to Alan Turing, the man who laid the foundations for the modern day computer during the world wars. He is credited with pioneering research into artificial intelligence and for unlocking German wartime codes. Turing is said to have committed suicide by biting into an apple that he had laced with cyanide, after experiencing heart-wrenching humiliation for his homosexuality, facing charges and jail time for gross indecency, and receiving no recognition for his work. While there is no confirmation for the inspiration behind the apple, it was designed and drawn by Rob Janoff. The reason for the bite, according to Janoff, is strictly due to scale: it was put in to distinguish a small apple from a cherry. The various designs of the Apple Logo throughout the years are fun and iconic; just as various generations have grown up with the evolving technology, so have they grown up with an ever-evolving design for the logo. From rainbow apples to plain, white, simple apples, the logo has remained particularly iconic and prominent today.

Rainbow Version