"The thing is, Apple's calculator designs are a pretty great way to see the company's design journey. Things went from strictly functional to visually contemporary to goddamn gorgeous (without ever compromising usability of course), and this LEGO set captures that journey perfectly. Put together with just 821 pieces, this fan-made build shows Apple's transition through 4 stages - going all the way from the b/w 1984 calculator to the modern scientific calculator."
"Famously a pedantic, Jobs ripped apart almost every design that Espinosa shared with him. After multiple iterations, Espinosa went to him with what we now look at as the final design. It was accepted, but not without a strong dose of criticism from Jobs, who said "Well, it's a start but basically, it stinks. The background color is too dark, some lines are the wrong thickness, and the buttons are too big.""
"The iPad got its own native calculator app in 2024, just 40 years after Apple rolled out its first-ever GUI (graphical user interface) calculator for the Macintosh in 1984. The original was designed by Chris Espinosa, and was a favorite of Steve Jobs' up until it was refreshed with the MacOS X in 2001. However, most of us are familiar with the original black and orange calculator UI that debuted as early as 2007."
Apple's iPad gained a native calculator app in 2024, forty years after the Macintosh GUI calculator debuted in 1984. Chris Espinosa designed the original calculator and it remained a favorite of Steve Jobs until it was refreshed with Mac OS X in 2001. Many users recognize the black-and-orange calculator UI from around 2007. Apple's calculator designs evolved from strictly functional to visually contemporary and then highly polished while maintaining usability. A fan-made LEGO model by The Art Of Knowledge uses 821 pieces to depict four stages, from the b/w 1984 calculator to a modern scientific calculator. Andy Hertzfeld and Donn Derman tweaked UI and semantics and preserved the Jobs-approved graphical version through OS 9.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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