The Apple logo: Inside the design of the iconic corporate symbol

Apple has one of the most iconic, recognizable logos. It's a simple shape of an apple with a stem and a bite taken from the right side.

But it didn't start that way. Apple's logo has undergone several design changes as the company has continued to launch new products and technology.

Evolution of Apple's logo design

The first Apple logo was designed by company co-founders Ronald Wayne and Steve Jobs. It featured a detailed illustration of Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree, where legend says he was inspired to develop the theory of gravity. A banner reading "Apple Computer Co." was draped around the top and bottom of the image.

Apple's rainbow-striped "bitten apple" logo, designed by graphic designer Rob Janoff, debuted in 1977. The logo was released for the Apple II computer, which was the first PC with a color display. The rainbow was meant to represent the color-display technology.

The company has kept the apple image ever since but dropped the rainbow stripes in 1998, when it launched its first iMac computer. At that time, the logo took on a monochromatic black look.

Later, Apple gave the logo a 3-D metallic appearance, a glass theme, and added the sliced apple. Apple returned to its monochromatic logo in dark gray in 2017, which it still uses today.

Why is Apple's logo a bitten apple?

Apple debuted the bitten apple logo in 1977. Several myths surround why it features the bite, including that it reflects Apple's old tagline, "Byte into an Apple."

However, designer Rob Janoff has said the bite doesn't have a symbolic meaning. He said any significance attributed to the bite is an "urban legend."

Logo meaning

A common myth is that Apple's logo references British mathematician Alan Turing, who's known as the father of computer science. But the logo's designer has said that it's not true — and that the logo doesn't have a symbolic meaning.

Apple's marketing materials use a font called Myriad Set, which is a variation on the Myriad font, according to the company.

Apples were reportedly one of Steve Jobs' favorite fruits. It's believed that the logo reflects Jobs' philosophy that "simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple."

Can I use the Apple logo on a website?

Licensees of an Apple trademark or logo receive trademark usage guidelines with their license agreements, according to the company. The Apple logo or Apple-owned graphics, including icons or logos, may not be used on websites, products, packaging, or other materials without an "express written trademark license from Apple."