What you need to know
- Fortune has released the "100 greatest designs of modern times".
- Apple has earned eight spots on the list.
- It has also taken the number one spot.
Apple has been celebrated many times over for how influential its product and services have been over the course of the company's history. Now, eight of Apple's creations have landed spots on a list of top designs.
Today, Fortune, published a list of the "100 greatest designs of modern times", and Apple has grabbed the number one and number two spots on the list. The number one spot has gone to the iPhone, the device that has changed the way we live and led Apple to become the most valuable company in the world.
"' An iPod, a phone, an Internet communicator' was how the late Steve Jobs announced the iPhone to the world in 2007. At the time it was an impressive claim. Now it seems like a massive understatement for a device that changed how we live. Analysts were initially skeptical that Apple could succeed selling a premium phone for $499 in a market in which most devices were subsidized or given away by carriers. But by relentlessly pushing the envelope of hardware and software design, adding a professional-grade camera, and creating an ecosystem of apps and services, Apple has sold more than 2 billion iPhones—and in the process has become the most valuable company in the world."
The original Macintosh has taken the number two spot on the list because of its ability to take the Apple II and the personal computing experience to new heights. Johan Redstrom, a professor at Umeå University, said that the Mac "changed the way we relate to a computer".
"The Macintosh was not the first personal computer, nor was it the first one with a graphical user interface, but it was the first complete product that took all these ideas and more into a complete package. It became a computer one could understand and interact with using both language and vision, typing and drawing. It changed the way we relate to a computer."
The iPod rounded out the top ten of the list, taking the number ten spot. The music player revolutionized the music industry when it allowed owners to fit "1000 songs in your pocket".
"' It revolutionized a category with a closed system, and propelled the music industry forward.' —José Manuel dos Santos, head of design & user experience, Signify"
Outside of the top ten, five more Apple products made the list.
The Macbook Pro grabbed the number fourteen spot for being the device that "untethered creative professionals from workstation computers".
The App Store is the first of Apple's services to land a spot on the list at number twenty-two. It represented a shift from manufacturer-controlled experiences to opening up the phone to all developers.
iOS took the 29th spot on the list for its intuitive design and, according to the Hitachi Design Team, "a user experience that even babies can figure out without being taught".
The Apple Watch lands at number forty-six for its ability to take the power of an iPhone and put it in a much smaller package, as well as its ability to have a major impact on your health.
Lastly, Apple Pay took the sixty fourth place on the list for its ability to bring new heights of convenience and security to the payment process.
If you'd like to see what other designs made the top 100, you can see the full list at Fortune,
