Apple Retail Store

Agency

Apple Computer

Practice Area

Client

Apple Computer

Industry

Project Vision

Designed to bring to computer shopping the ease of use associated with the Macintosh, Apple retail stores bring the Apple brand into a new arena. Wall graphics, typically four feet high by twenty feet wide, present overarching messages that change seasonally and relate to individual sections of the store. Quick-read diagrams illustrate the basics and lead the consumer to demo tapes running on in-store computers. Graphics in the Kids section appeal to both children and their parents and focus on education, one of Apple’s strongest consumer bases.

Product signage offers a straightforward presentation of product name, price, specs, and configurations. Most are printed on a color laser printer for cost-efficient four-color printing. Others are printed on vellum so that the type appears to float and the product alongside them stands out. A system of similar typography and hierarchy of information is applied to product signage throughout the store.

The permanent signage was designed to blend with the fixtures and architecture of the space. Illuminated overhead signs designate sections. They hang from ceiling tracks and integrate with the ceiling system. The milled acrylic software shelf signs have a luminescence that relates the dark wood fixtures to the peripheral pods and other acrylic sign holders in the store.

Project Details
I like the crisp simplicity of the graphics and displays. Any store that can pull me in to spend $500 on technical stuff in five minutes when I thought I was just going to run into the mall for coffee deserves an award!
Juror 1
Design Team

Steve Jobs (Principal in Charge), Apple Graphic Design Team

Design Firm

Apple Computer

Consultants

Eight, Inc. (Architecture), Tamotsu Yagi Design