A Designer Classic

Infographic Poster

Illustration

A Designer Classic showcases the intersection between cultural impact, forward thinking design, and engineering prowess of Apple’s iMac G3. This idea of crossover is visually supported by the illustrations, with technical vector art bleeding into concept-style sketches.

The Story

The iMac G3 was a pivotal product in the company’s history. In the mid-late 1990s, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy and had few products that offered anything special to computer buyers. Upon his return to Apple in 1996, Steve Jobs was tasked with turning the company around. Jobs worked closely with Jony Ive, a young industrial designer, to create a machine that would not only provide a good value to consumers, but also demystify the computer and make it more approachable. The iMac G3 achieved all of these goals, and single-handedly put Apple back in the green.

Illustrations were hand-drawn in Adobe Fresco and touched up in Photoshop.

Design Process

The G3’s success can be attributed to its eccentric design and the engineering that made it possible. To visualize this, I rendered the outer shell of the machine by hand in a loose, concept-art style. Below is an accurate isometric map of the iMacs internals, done with vectors in Illustrator. These two illustrations were intentionally chosen to be as different as possible not only to create visual interest, but also show how design and engineering came together to create one of the most iconic products of our time.