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 The Snow White design language was an industrial design language developed by frog design founded by Hartmut Esslinger. It was used by Apple Computer from 1984 to 1990. It is characterised by vertical and horizontal stripes acting as decoration and occasionally ventilation, as well as creating the illusion of the computer enclosure being smaller than it actually is[citation needed].
[edit] HistoryThe Apple IIc computer was the very first Snow White design along with the various peripherals and accessories designed for it. Initially Snow White debuted in a creamy off-white color known at Apple as “Fog”[1] but later other products moved to the warm gray “Platinum” color, lighter than the previous Apple “Putty” color, used throughout the Apple product line from 1987 on. Though Hartmut Esslinger favored a bright-white color originally for the IIc (which Jerry Manock successfully argued against, claiming it would attract fingerprints), the Snow White code-name had little to do with color. Rather, Snow White refers to the seven projects code-named after the Seven Dwarves on which the new design language was to be applied. Several designers were courted by Apple under the Snow White project to see what they would come up with for the seven products (of which there were actually eight). The “winner” ultimately was Esslinger and the resulting “style” assumed the project’s code-name.[2] Nevertheless, Esslinger detested the original Apple beige-color and insisted all Snow White-styled products use the same off-white color as the IIc. Until the change to Platinum no Snow White designs appeared in any other color, except for the Hard Disk 20SC in order to better match the beige-color of the Macintosh Plus beneath which it was designed to sit. The Snow White language was gradually phased out as it was adapted by the Apple Industrial Design Group beginning in 1990. [edit] Design features  The distinguishing characteristics originated by the Snow White design language, in contrast to the original Apple industrial design style, include the following:
Any or all of these features indicate a Snow White frog design influence over an otherwise Apple designed product. In particular the first official implementation, the Apple //c does not represent the complete set of design elements, while the Macintosh II includes all of them. Later, the Macintosh LC began to phase out some of the design elements. [edit] Legacy In 1982, Apple sought to establish itself as a world-class company. As a result they chose to look outside the company and indeed the country for a designer who might help them achieve that kind of recognition. The Snow White project helped them achieve just that. The resulting design language created by frog and Esslinger not only helped Apple’s recognition factor on a world stage, but the innovative designs helped mold the way computers were perceived throughout the manufacturing and business world. As a direct result of these designs Apple set trends for the entire industry which often copied both its warm gray Platinum color as well as its Snow White designs. In addition to its recognizable style, the Snow White design language, if not Esslinger himself (who detested the beige color Apple used), is responsible for Apple’s change of color throughout its product line. But more importantly, Esslinger redesigned Apple’s product badging methods by creating a three-dimensional Apple logo that was inlaid directly into the product case, with the product name printed directly onto its surface. This branding became an Apple signature, included on nearly every product for several years. [edit] ImplementationApple products designed in the Snow White theme (all used the “Platinum” gray color scheme except as noted):   
Most Apple Displays introduced between 1984 and 1994 also used Snow White, except those specifically designed to match the Apple II series. All Apple ADB keyboards and mice introduced between 1986 and 1993 were Snow White designs. [edit] Unofficial Designs  
Both the 100 & 200 series PowerBooks and accessories were intended to tie into the rest of the Apple desktop products utilizing the corporate Snow White design language. However, the light colors and decorative recessed lines did not seem appropriate for the scaled down designs. In addition to adopting the darker grey colour scheme which co-ordinated with the official corporate look, they also adopted a raised series of ridges mimicking the indented lines on the desktops. These early PowerBooks would be the last to utilize the aging Snow White look and the only ones to make such a radical adaptation of it.[2] [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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