Be like Apple, Think Different!

In 2017, as part of designing SLIDE, a tool-kit for everyone to build brand identities, I wrote a short story about Apple to illustrate the power of a tag line, the central output of the Idea Design phase in brand design. I’ve published the story here; it is part of a series of stories, each one included in the 3 phases we outlined for brand design in SLIDE. The other two stories are on Coca-Cola for the Logo Design phase, and Nike for the System Design phase.

In this Apple feature, I’ve included some iconic posters with the computer company’s branding, its logo and tagline, stamped discreetly on black and white photographs of famous global pioneers. The result is powerful, reinforcing the essence of “Think Different” over and over and over again.

Apple is the world’s leading computer company because they’ve designed devices around the user. When Apple launched in the 70s, computers were a very niche product used mostly by experts in very technical industries. Apple’s mantra, “Think Different” has led the company to time and time again deliver devices that everyone everywhere can use — professionals and casual users alike.

Muhammad Ali, the controversial boxer, brought a lighthearted spirit to the boxing sport. “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Miles Davis transformed Jazz by doing the impossible: he made music that was already super cool even cooler, from the way he composed and played music to the way he lived his life.

Today, the computer company makes more than computers. They’ve got music products, phones, TV devices in addition to powerful computers that inspire people to create everyday.

Apple has a clear understanding of what it does; its description is simple and straight to the point: “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.”

Pablo Picasso painted as he saw things, not as they looked. He was prolific in his lifetime, working across diverse art mediums, including painting, sculpture, and advertising.

Ted Turner, media mogul and champion sailor

And Apple knows its customers and people well. Customers are pro and novice, old and young, from around the world, people who want a powerful but easy to use device that “just works.” That understanding of customers’ preferences is what drives the people who work with Apple to “Think Different.”

Inspired by Gandhi’s peaceful approach to protests and his own Christian beliefs, Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equity and justice from a place of love and empathy. His work and speeches continue to inspire generations of designers, activists, politicians, and business leaders around the world.