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Episode 13
26minutes.

Design - The Imac

Synopsis

The iMac is the most widely sold computer in the world.
The release of the coloured, egg-shaped, transparent and user-friendly iMac computer by Apple in 1998 came as a bombshell in the computing market, the design being up until then restricted only to beige and greyish colours. The atypical computer giant company Apple had already banked on the design of the Macintosh series. Inspired by Snow White, these computers had been built on pure, clear lines. With the iMac, the young designer Jonathan Ive explored the relationship between computer technology and its users in order to demystify the machine to make the design more attractive. He gave the Macintosh the round shape of an egg, using smooth and soft edges. Translucent plastic became the dominant material showing the internal mechanism of the computer, giving the user the illusionary feeling that it was easy to use. Colours were also added transforming the iMac into a candy-coloured toy computer. With the advent of multimedia and Internet technologies, to which iMac offers an integrated connection, Ive understood that the reach of computer technology had moved far beyond the desktop. A novel and more "friendly" computer for recreational use needed to be created. Through pictures from past records, 3D animations showing computers of the future and works of contemporary artists, this film tells us with humour and originality how design has influenced the austere world of computing.

Available Versions

Audio

French, German, English

Subtitle

French, German

Transcription

None

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