From illustration to silhouette
Apple’s early identity included Ron Wayne’s illustration of Isaac Newton beneath a tree. Rob Janoff’s subsequent design replaced that scene with the familiar silhouette of an apple with a bite removed. Its rainbow-striped version became a prominent expression of the company’s identity.
Colour and recognition
The bite helped distinguish the fruit from a cherry. Colour connected the identity with the Apple II’s colour graphics. Later versions removed the rainbow treatment while preserving a closely related outline, allowing the shape to carry recognition across different surface effects.
What to study
Compare the illustrated predecessor, the striped version and a single-colour rendition. Ask what information each contains and what remains recognizable when detail disappears. The comparison makes simplification concrete without assuming that fewer elements always make a better mark. It also separates the designer’s documented choices from later stories attached to an already familiar symbol.