Where were you in 1976? Steve Jobs was working with his then two partners Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak on their logo. Have you seen it recently? Their first was horrible by anyone’s measure.

Thankfully, Rob Janoff, who became Apple’s corporate designer, instantly realized the error of Apple’s ways and created a new logo which has remained in force for more than 30 years.

Of course, it has been modified throughout the years but the primary design has been retained until this day.

One aspect that sets Apple’s logo apart is it does not include the company’s name. An intriguing fact when you stop to consider that most corporate logos have the company’s name incorporated in some fashion. It seems that even from the beginning Apple executives felt a strong pull toward imagination and creativity and were willing to lose the literal dimensions that so often accompany corporate decision-making. This pioneering spirit has led to some extremely inspiring packaging, from the products Apple makes to the packaging they are delivered in. All Apple products have one thing in common though: they are not like anyone else’s. It’s an interesting way to brand a company isn’t it.