The Evolution of Apple's Website: A Reflective Look at the Company's Design Language

Since its inception, Apple's website has been a reflection of the company's design language and aesthetic preferences. The journey began with the introduction of the original iMac G3 in 1998, which marked a significant shift for Apple as Steve Jobs had planned to release three more products - a pro desktop, a pro notebook, and a consumer notebook. This goal was eventually achieved by 1999 with the Power Mac G4, PowerBook, and iBook, all featuring a glossy design that would become synonymous with Apple's brand.

The website underwent significant changes during this period. In 2000, Apple debuted its new user interface called Aqua, which introduced a new tabbed toolbar with a pinstriped background. This design language was carried forward to the company's web presence and marked the beginning of what I call the Aqua era. The website's design was sleek and modern, reflecting the same aesthetic used in Apple's products.

However, by 2007, Apple had begun transitioning from glossy plastic to matte aluminum in its products. This change was reflected in the website as well, with a simplified gray toolbar that followed the new design language of the products. The website's design was now more minimalist and clean, showcasing Apple's focus on simplicity and elegance.

But something interesting happened next. In 2011, Apple decided to modify the toolbar to feature a glossy glass texture instead of the matte finish. While I'm not sure what prompted this change, I do have some theories. It could be that glass touch screens were becoming the focus of Apple's product line with the addition of devices like the iPad and touch screen iPod nano. Another possible reason is that Apple's web designers were taking cues from the iOS interface, which featured glossy icons, a glossy dock, and glossy menu buttons.

The introduction of iOS 7 in 2013 marked another significant shift in Apple's design language. The operating system was known for its sleek, flat UI, which removed all the glossiness, reflections, and shadows that had defined the appearance of the iPhone since its introduction in 2007. And as expected, Apple followed suit by updating its website to feature a new flat design. The toolbar became less of a bar and more of a rectangle that stretched from one end of the browser window to the other.

The changes on Apple's website were also reflective of the company's focus on simplicity and elegance. The photos featured on the homepage were full-width, and the store interface was reorganized and simplified to feature product icons and banners instead of trying to fit every product onto a single page. This marked a significant shift in Apple's approach to its online presence, one that prioritized ease of use and visual appeal.

Today, Apple's website is more streamlined and focused than ever before. The company has been deliberate about the products it launches and the markets it enters, with many new categories showing significant success. While not all products have been successful - such as the iPod Hi-Fi - the company has demonstrated a willingness to adapt and evolve in response to changing market conditions.

As we look at Apple's website today, I believe that the same can be said for the company itself. The company has simplified its product line, discontinued unprofitable products like the iPod shuffle and nano, and focused on creating experiences that have a significant impact on customers' lives. This shift in strategy has allowed Apple to maintain its position as one of the world's most valuable companies.

But what does the future hold for Apple? The company has been quiet about its next major design language change, but I look forward to seeing how they will continue to evolve and adapt to changing market conditions. With a focus on simplicity, elegance, and innovation, I believe that Apple is poised to continue making waves in the tech industry for years to come.

The Final Word

In conclusion, Apple's website has undergone significant changes over the years, reflecting the company's design language and aesthetic preferences. From the Aqua era to the flat design of today, each phase has been a unique and interesting chapter in Apple's evolution. As we look to the future, it will be exciting to see how Apple continues to innovate and adapt in response to changing market conditions.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enIf you’re a big Apple fan like I am thenyou’ve probably spent a good amount of timebrowsing their website, which is perhaps oneof the best designed and well optimized sitesin the industry.But what you may not realize is that Apple’swebsite also serves as a historical timelineof the company, since how the website looksand works is defined by the design trendsof the period.So in this video we’re going to explorethe history of Apple through the lens of theirwebsite.This is Greg with Apple Explained and I wantto thank Squarespace for sponsoring this video.If you want to help decide which topics Icover, make sure you’re subscribed and votingpolls like this one will show up in your mobileactivity feed.Now I want to start off the video by breakingdown the six eras we’ll be exploring.Before Steve Jobs, Platinum, Aqua, Aluminum,Glass, and finally, Flat.So let’s start off with the first era ofApple’s website: Before Steve Jobs.Now Steve Jobs was Apple’s co-founder andeventual CEO so what do I mean by “before”Steve Jobs?Well, there was a period from 1985 to 1996when Jobs wasn’t with the company.He had been forced out of his leadership positionat Apple by its board of directors, afterthe unimpressive launch of the original Macintoshin 1984.A project which Jobs had led.And it was during that period when the internetbecame popular and Apple had to make a website.So in 1994 apple.com made its debut, and here’swhat it looked like.Now it certainly wasn’t the pinnacle ofgraphic design, but it did represent whereApple was at that time.They had no clear direction, and the company’sleadership was changing hands frequently.The role of CEO went from John Sculley, toMichael Spindler, to Gil Amelio in a periodof five years.And Apple’s website during that time reflectedthe company’s lack of vision.Here’s was it looked like in 1994, thenin 1996 it changed to this skeuomorphic design,and then in 1997 we have this text-heavy approach.But it wasn’t only Apple’s website thatsuffered during this era, it was also theirproducts.With Jobs gone, the company began a race tothe bottom.Foregoing the philosophy of building a smallnumber of premium, high-priced computers infavor of a new business strategy: Trying tomake as many cheap computers as possible inorder to stimulate sales and grow revenue.Apple’s product line grew so large and fragmentedthat they actually had to send salespeopleflowcharts explaining which model out of dozenswould be suitable for which customer.As you can imagine, this business approachfailed miserably and helped push Apple tothe brink of bankruptcy.It was then when, to his credit, Gil Ameliodecided to buy Next, a computer company Jobshad founded while away from Apple.It was a good decision not only because itbrought Steve Jobs back to Apple, but it providedthe company with the foundations of a modernoperating system that they’d been trying,and failing, to develop for years.Now with Jobs back at Apple, the company wasreinvigorated with the same product philosophythat led them to success in the early days.Focus your best resources on a few great products.And their website during this period reflectedthat mantra.It went from this in 1997, to this in 1998.The homepage changed from being wordy andbusy, to being simple and visually appealing.And again, Apple’s products reflected thischange as well.The iMac G3 was the most bold computer thecompany had ever made.And it marked a new era of Apple that restoredtheir reputation of being a premium computercompany with a focus on great design.The iMac went on to become the best-sellingproduct in Apple’s history at the time,and helped save the company from financialruin.This is the second time period that I callplatinum, since Apple’s website resembledthe platinum user interface of Mac OS 9.And while we’re on the subject of websites,I want to share some information about mine.If you guys haven’t noticed I do have awebsite that directs visitors to my channeland social media accounts, and although itisn’t full of content, it does have a veryimportant purpose.It allowed me to buy the appleexplained.comdomain before anyone else, and therefore claima custom email address, info@appleexplained.com.And I was able to claim my domain name, buildmy website, and create a custom email addressall with the same service.And that’s Squarespace.I’ve been using Squarespace for over a yearnow after switching between other services,and I’m really happy with what they haveto offer.Squarespace had the highest number of websitetemplates to choose from and they’re alloptimized for mobile so I didn’t have todo any extra work for that.And when I wanted to sell a merch productI was able to add an e-commerce store to mysite without starting from scratch.Plus the payment processor was built in andI could print shipping labels straight fromSquarespace as well.When I say it’s an all-in-one platform,I really mean it.And you can get all this for cheaper thanyou might think, especially if you use thelink squarespace.com/appleexplained sinceyou’ll get 10% off your first purchase,you can find that link in the description.Now back to the iMac G3, which was just thebeginning for Apple, since Jobs had a planto release three more products.A pro desktop, a pro notebook, and a consumernotebook.By 1999 that goal had been achieved with thePower Mac G4, PowerBook, and iBook.All of which featured a glossy design thatApple eventually carried through to its newoperating system, Mac OS X.In 2000, Apple debuted this new user interfacecalled Aqua, and applied it to their websitethe same year.This began what I call the Aqua era, and ithad a big influence on how the website lookedand worked.Introducing a new tabbed toolbar with a pinstripedbackground.Now Apple stuck with this design languagefor about seven years until the aluminum era.That’s when many of their products begantransitioning from glossy plastic to mattealuminum, and Apple’s website did the same.Just look at how much aluminum Apple beganusing in their products during this time.I actually remember a childhood friend ofmine saying “I can’t believe Apple madean aluminum iPod classic, that’s just wrong.”And many others echoed this sentiment, sincethis transition to aluminum was the firstmajor design language change Apple had experiencedsince the glossy plastic days of the originaliPod and iMac.As you can see the website toolbar changedfrom a glossy aqua tabbed design, to a simplergray layout that reflected the new designsof their products.But something interesting happened next thatI still can’t fully explain.In 2011 Apple decided to modify the toolbarto a glossy glass texture, rather than thematte finish.And while I’m not sure what prompted thischange, I do have some theories.It could be that glass touch screens werebecoming the focus of Apple’s product linewith the addition of devices like the iPadand touch screen iPod nano.But I think the more likely reason is thatApple’s web designers were taking cues fromthe iOS interface, which featured glossy icons,a glossy dock, and glossy menu buttons.After all, iOS was exploding in popularityduring this time, and I think Apple was capitalizingon this trend.Now the final era of Apple’s website, andthe one we’re currently in, is what I simplycall Flat.It debuted in 2014 soon after iOS 7 was released,and it took its design cues from that operatingsystem.Which famously marked Apple’s transitionfrom a skeuomorphic UI, to a flat UI, whichremoved all the glossiness, reflections andshadows that had defined the appearance ofthe iPhone’s operating system since itsintroduction in 2007.And as you can imagine, it was a very controversialmove that many users disagreed with.But Apple pressed on and doubled down by updatingits website to the design we’re familiarwith today.The toolbar became less of a bar and moreof a rectangle that stretched from one endof the browser window to the other.This actually marked the first time Applehad a website that was truly responsive towindow resizing and had an optimized appearanceon mobile.The photos featured on the homepage were full-width,and the store interface was reorganized andsimplified to featured product icons and banners,rather than trying to fit every product ontoa single page.But as I mentioned earlier in the video, Apple’swebsite is indicative of the company as awhole, and I think it’s important to reflecton where Apple is at today.Just like their website is more simplifiedand focused than ever before, I think thesame can be said for Apple’s product line.They discontinued products like the iPod shuffle,nano, and classic, and even exited the internetrouter market by ending production of theirAirPort Express and AirPort Extreme.All in an effort to focus their resourceson products that have the biggest effect ontheir customers and business.They’ve also been very deliberate when enteringnew product categories.Many people have been begging Apple to makea game console for years, but they’ve refused,understanding that such a product wouldn’tbe conductive to their business goals.On the other hand, every new product categorythat Apple has entered in the last five yearshas been largely successful, including theApple watch, AirPods, and HomePod.This hasn’t always been the case, sincethere were products under Steve Jobs thatfailed to go anywhere at all, like the iPodHi-Fi.So with Apple’s website in the best shapeit’s ever been, I think the same can besaid for the company itself.And I look forward to the new changes theyhave in store for us in the near future.Alright guys thanks for watching and I’llsee you next time.\n"