If anyone asks you what Apple is about, show them this video.
18 thoughts on “Designed By Apple”
Seeing this play at the actual keynote with the level excitement beforehand was amazing
They’re about typos?
oh, Leo.
well, he’s right – how can you have a typo in that kind of video?
great video, except for the apostrophe error on the opening frames.
If you’re referring to “there are a thousand no’s”, though the apostrophe may be technically incorrect, I think the dictionary plural, “noes” would have looked odd and, because of its relative unfamiliarity, be jarring to the flow of the piece. “Nos” without the apostrophe, though technically correct, would most likely have been confusing, as it frequently stands for “nitrous oxide”. So, all in all, I think they used the best construction.
Having read entirely too much about cultural differences pertaining to internet usage and web design in recent weeks, I’m starting to wonder if the design philosophy Apple is implicitly criticising in the video—like Samsung’s—is more of a cultural thing.
The design language dominant in east Asian countries influenced by confucianism is one of abundance and richness. There, long feature lists and rich visual designs are a selling point.
The west’s design and aesthetics have been so thoroughly influenced by the Bauhaus movement and it’s successors, we hardly know anything else.
But, Asia has philosophies that, should they gain popularity again, might lead to a shift in design from China, Japan and Korea: Taoism and to a certain degree Chan-Buddhism (or Zen for Japan).
I’ve stumbled across a not insignificant number of examples of reduced, efficient, yet indisputably Chinese web designs, and I don’t think it entirely impossible for this to affect mobile UI design in the future.
Good writers know when to break the rules.
Ignoring the “apostrophe” nit picking, this is a great little piece, reminiscent of the character of the “Crazies” video in its elegance, rhythm, and its aesthetic simplicity. A worthy replacement for the “Think Different” campaign, which was also “flawed” with a “typo”, yet which proved to be effective and memorable.
Why must you people be so stuck on “criticism” and upon reading so much into things? Think, think, think, is a dwindling spiral into oblivion and just more and more confusion.
The major civilizing influence in all of Asia was the philosophy of Gautama Siddhartha (Buddhism). One of the hallmarks of his original teachings was SIMPLICITY.
No one, especially the Bauhaus movement, has a patent on simplicity. I’m sure Sir Jony would confirm that he’s not a slave to Bauhaus. So in case you are, please don’t assume that everyone is like you.
No amount of yap yap is going to negate the value of simplicity in design. It’s a universal stable datum. And Sir Jony is a master of it. The entire concept of the Apple iPad along with iOS and the OOP paradigm which underlies it are based on SIMPLICITY, and it’s well on its way to sweeping away most of the PC industry.
Stop being so blind. Open your eyes and SIMPLY look around!
Daniel you’re reading too much into my comment I’m afraid. I’m not at all stuck on criticism, although I do think that my reading it into this video is far-fetched.
Like you I’m very sure that Ive’s not a slave to Bauhaus and Rams, neither am I, but I find it hard to negate that it’s one of the most influential styles in the west.
Yes, Buddhism was incredibly important for the development of East Asian cultures and societies, but it’s in no way dominant today, especially in countries like China, Korea or Japan — although admittedly, their philosophies are very adaptive and have incorporated many buddhistic principles over time.
Value of simplicity in design? That’s entirely in the eye of the beholder and simplicity and a clean visual appearance themselves are a matter of interpretation.
An recently simplified example off of the top of my head:
This site is considered clean and simple by mainland Chinese internet users. The sheer density of information would prevent me from describing this as a clean design.
All this “eye of the beholder” crap is mere condescension. Successful design relies entirely on communication. You have to first know what communication is. It’s not the egotistical babble of too many dilettantes out there who call themselves designers who pretentiously throw together colors and shapes and grunge, hoping that someone will buy it so they can pay their rent and buy more drugs, piercings, and tats. It’s getting the desired message across which results in more sales of a product or service, etc. Communication demands simplicity, because the viewer’s attention is all too easily distracted by clutter, confusion, or things that don’t belong. Simplicity isn’t a mere arbitrary trend. It works. And because it works, it’s valuable and even essential. Apple understands this, and it’s a big part of their success.
That’s funny, because I think you can read the “confuse… abundance with choice” as a slagging of the convoluted data plans of the carriers, giving the customer the illusion of control by presenting an clearly ridiculous system of add ons and services that results in a dizzying array of choices that accomplish nothing of substance. Who wants voice mail but not caller ID? Who will use data but not email (a feature of some Blackberry plans).
I don’t think any one philosophy is being targeted for criticism, but it’s telling that people can see direct allusions to certain consumer technologies or services in Apple’s video.
You’re oversimplifying now.
Design is a form of communication; it can be the medium as much as it can be the message.
Of course you have to understand how to communicate, but communication is anything but simple and cannot be viewed independently from (cultural) context.
That’s why with the exception of companies like Coca Cola and Apple (two of the very very few true global brands), most successful companies have country-specific marketing and communication strategies.
Exactly.
Or the existence of every conceivable display size for Android phones.
Also I wasn’t making a value judgement, it was simply an observation.
It’s a beautiful piece. I do a fair amount of work in After Effects on things like (but not as good as) this. The feel of weight and inertia on the elements as they move is just exquisite.
Seeing this play at the actual keynote with the level excitement beforehand was amazing
They’re about typos?
oh, Leo.
well, he’s right – how can you have a typo in that kind of video?
great video, except for the apostrophe error on the opening frames.
If you’re referring to “there are a thousand no’s”, though the apostrophe may be technically incorrect, I think the dictionary plural, “noes” would have looked odd and, because of its relative unfamiliarity, be jarring to the flow of the piece. “Nos” without the apostrophe, though technically correct, would most likely have been confusing, as it frequently stands for “nitrous oxide”. So, all in all, I think they used the best construction.
Having read entirely too much about cultural differences pertaining to internet usage and web design in recent weeks, I’m starting to wonder if the design philosophy Apple is implicitly criticising in the video—like Samsung’s—is more of a cultural thing.
The design language dominant in east Asian countries influenced by confucianism is one of abundance and richness. There, long feature lists and rich visual designs are a selling point.
The west’s design and aesthetics have been so thoroughly influenced by the Bauhaus movement and it’s successors, we hardly know anything else.
But, Asia has philosophies that, should they gain popularity again, might lead to a shift in design from China, Japan and Korea: Taoism and to a certain degree Chan-Buddhism (or Zen for Japan).
I’ve stumbled across a not insignificant number of examples of reduced, efficient, yet indisputably Chinese web designs, and I don’t think it entirely impossible for this to affect mobile UI design in the future.
Good writers know when to break the rules.
Ignoring the “apostrophe” nit picking, this is a great little piece, reminiscent of the character of the “Crazies” video in its elegance, rhythm, and its aesthetic simplicity. A worthy replacement for the “Think Different” campaign, which was also “flawed” with a “typo”, yet which proved to be effective and memorable.
Why must you people be so stuck on “criticism” and upon reading so much into things? Think, think, think, is a dwindling spiral into oblivion and just more and more confusion.
The major civilizing influence in all of Asia was the philosophy of Gautama Siddhartha (Buddhism). One of the hallmarks of his original teachings was SIMPLICITY.
No one, especially the Bauhaus movement, has a patent on simplicity. I’m sure Sir Jony would confirm that he’s not a slave to Bauhaus. So in case you are, please don’t assume that everyone is like you.
No amount of yap yap is going to negate the value of simplicity in design. It’s a universal stable datum. And Sir Jony is a master of it. The entire concept of the Apple iPad along with iOS and the OOP paradigm which underlies it are based on SIMPLICITY, and it’s well on its way to sweeping away most of the PC industry.
Stop being so blind. Open your eyes and SIMPLY look around!
Daniel you’re reading too much into my comment I’m afraid. I’m not at all stuck on criticism, although I do think that my reading it into this video is far-fetched.
Like you I’m very sure that Ive’s not a slave to Bauhaus and Rams, neither am I, but I find it hard to negate that it’s one of the most influential styles in the west.
Yes, Buddhism was incredibly important for the development of East Asian cultures and societies, but it’s in no way dominant today, especially in countries like China, Korea or Japan — although admittedly, their philosophies are very adaptive and have incorporated many buddhistic principles over time.
Value of simplicity in design? That’s entirely in the eye of the beholder and simplicity and a clean visual appearance themselves are a matter of interpretation.
An recently simplified example off of the top of my head:
http://www.sina.com.cn
This site is considered clean and simple by mainland Chinese internet users. The sheer density of information would prevent me from describing this as a clean design.
All this “eye of the beholder” crap is mere condescension. Successful design relies entirely on communication. You have to first know what communication is. It’s not the egotistical babble of too many dilettantes out there who call themselves designers who pretentiously throw together colors and shapes and grunge, hoping that someone will buy it so they can pay their rent and buy more drugs, piercings, and tats. It’s getting the desired message across which results in more sales of a product or service, etc. Communication demands simplicity, because the viewer’s attention is all too easily distracted by clutter, confusion, or things that don’t belong. Simplicity isn’t a mere arbitrary trend. It works. And because it works, it’s valuable and even essential. Apple understands this, and it’s a big part of their success.
That’s funny, because I think you can read the “confuse… abundance with choice” as a slagging of the convoluted data plans of the carriers, giving the customer the illusion of control by presenting an clearly ridiculous system of add ons and services that results in a dizzying array of choices that accomplish nothing of substance. Who wants voice mail but not caller ID? Who will use data but not email (a feature of some Blackberry plans).
I don’t think any one philosophy is being targeted for criticism, but it’s telling that people can see direct allusions to certain consumer technologies or services in Apple’s video.
You’re oversimplifying now.
Design is a form of communication; it can be the medium as much as it can be the message.
Of course you have to understand how to communicate, but communication is anything but simple and cannot be viewed independently from (cultural) context.
That’s why with the exception of companies like Coca Cola and Apple (two of the very very few true global brands), most successful companies have country-specific marketing and communication strategies.
Exactly.
Or the existence of every conceivable display size for Android phones.
Also I wasn’t making a value judgement, it was simply an observation.
It’s a beautiful piece. I do a fair amount of work in After Effects on things like (but not as good as) this. The feel of weight and inertia on the elements as they move is just exquisite.
Check out this great spoof of Samsung based on Apple’s ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxKXuvQtWoc
Mango, give it up. You were making an observation about two different cultures. He’s looking for an argument about worth.