Apple Design Concepts
elegant lines
One of the most exciting design concepts that Apple has recently introduced is the unibody. This is the case for the MacBook Air, the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and the new MacBook.
The unibody begins life as a single piece of aluminum. Using CNC (computer numerical control) milling machines, Apple then creates a laptop case that accommodates a keyboard, trackpad, ports, display, and the integral interior electronics.
The result is robust and light. The new aluminum MacBook weighs just 2.04 kg (4.5 lbs). This is modest for a laptop packed with so many features. However, it’s still heavier than the 3-pound (1.36 kg) wonderfully thin MacBook Air. These two laptops, along with the MacBook Pro, command attention with their engineering perfection and elegance.
The unibody is a simple concept but an extremely difficult idea to achieve in practice. This is the reason why laptop manufacturers usually build their cases from separate parts. These allow room for error. The unibody, however, must be precise in all aspects; if not, the interior components will not fit.
This bold approach to design is typical of Apple. Another example is the iMac, Apple’s desktop computer that keeps its technology behind 20-inch and 24-inch widescreens. The iMac’s casing is a single sheet of aluminum, plus a compartment at the bottom that gives access to memory cards. Ports, iSight camera, microphone, optical drive slot, and internals are discreetly integrated. Together they provide a powerful computer that takes up far less space than any comparable PC.
The Mac mini isn’t as slim as Apple laptops and the iMac, but it doesn’t need to be slim to be stylish. Instead, it’s a good example of how a quality computer can reduce clutter at just 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) square and 2 inches (5 cm) tall. Anodized aluminum casing, pearlescent white cover, curved corners, and quiet operation make Mac mini a desirable desk item. It certainly compares well with most of a standard desktop PC.
Apple’s iPods have a similar design philosophy. Aluminum, glass and polished stainless steel are combined with subtle curves and carefully placed controls. The click wheel design of the classic and the nano has even become a style icon in its own right, derived from the scroll wheel and touch wheel of previous generation iPods.
The design of the iPod, like laptops, is also all about weight, or to be exact, the lack of it. iPod nano weighs just 36.8 grams (1.3 ounces), though iPod shuffle trumps it with its feather-like 15.6-gram (0.55-ounce) body.
Easy to use
However, exterior design alone has not kept Apple products at the forefront of multimedia technology. The hidden designs and compatibility of hardware and software inside a Mac and iPod have also helped achieve this.
This compatibility means that the user of an Apple product enjoys a smooth and pleasant experience. The design of Mac OS X, for example, provides a fast and logical operating system that dwarfs Windows Vista in almost every way.
The ease of use extends to the software that comes with every Mac, like the Safari web browser. Safari doesn’t just find information quickly on the Internet—it keeps up with the latest web technology, organizes your data, and helps you distinguish one item from another.
Safari’s success as the world’s best web browser and the popularity of other Apple software, such as the iLife application suite, is due in part to frequent revisions. Apple’s software designers never wait for things to happen—they’re always looking for ways to develop and improve. Therefore, Mac users can be sure that their software is up to date.
The same goes for iPod designers. Recent design enhancements include Genius, which automatically creates a playlist of matching songs; the accelerometer, which makes gaming more fun and gives iPod nano shake and shuffle; and the 3D graphics of the iPod touch.
The iPod touch, of course, has an excellent Multi-Touch screen which is an important design feature in itself. Apple also uses the Multi-Touch concept in its laptops and has now given the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air larger trackpads made of glass and with more features than ever before. The result not only makes these laptops more fun to use, but they also look sleeker.
Concern for the environment
The third element of Apple’s design approach is concern for the environment. LED display backlights are mercury free; internal cables are PVC-free; and the components are free of toxic BFRs (brominated flame retardants).
Apple also promotes the recyclable qualities of the arsenic-free aluminum and glass that make up many of its Mac and iPod cases, and has reduced the packaging it uses.
These efforts are considerable and are being developed all the time. Recognitions include Macs being awarded Energy Star status, thanks to their excellent energy efficiency, and the highly coveted EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) gold rating for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
These successes demonstrate that environmental concerns can play an important role in design concepts. No doubt other companies will follow Apple’s lead.
Innovation
Innovation has not been presented here as a design concept because it is a separate principle. With Apple, innovation is central to the company’s existence and strategy. Some manufacturers view innovation as an end in itself, but Apple treats it as an integral part of day-to-day design and development.
Therefore, customers may take innovation for granted. You subscribe to products that are attractive to the eye, easy to use and respectful of the environment. In other words, they are brilliant designs.