Apple Park Michael Schwab poster set (4 posters, 16 x 20 inches each, 2022)

This set of posters was sold at the Apple Park Apple Park Visitor Center in 2022. The set includes four different designs by the graphic artist Michael Schwab. The posters were packaged in a white cardboard tube with a label that read, “Apple Park M. Schwab Poster Set (4pk) HP932LL/A.” Each poster measured 16 x 20 inches.

The designs included the following representations:

  • Apple Park office structure (a partial view)
  • Reflecting pool in the outdoor center of the Apple Park office structure with three birds flying above
  • Steve Jobs Theater at night with a crescent moon above
  • An apple tree, reminiscent of those growing in the outdoor center of the Apple Park office structure

This set is presented in the order that the posters were hanging in the Apple Park Visitor Center Apple Store. The poster designs were also available on white t-shirts (one design per shirt). In fact, when I first saw the posters in the Visitor Center Apple Store, it was not obvious to me that they were available for sale because they appeared to only show the details of the t-shirt design. An Apple employee let me know the posters were available.

According to Michael Schwab’s website, he was born in Oklahoma in 1952 and now lives and works in northern California. His biography states:

“From his studio in Marin County, he has established a national reputation as one of America’s leading graphic artists.

He has created national award-winning logos and posters for a remarkable list of prestigious clients, including Apple, Amtrak, The Golden Gate National Parks, Major League Baseball, Robert Mondavi, Muhammad Ali, Nike, Pebble Beach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Robert Redford, San Francisco Opera, Sundance, Sunset Books, and Wells Fargo, among others.

Having attended school in Texas, New York and California, Michael has a broad array of visual, cultural, and geographic references to which he regularly turns for ideas. 

His work is easily recognized by his signature use of large, flat areas of color, dramatic perspectives and bold, graphic images of archetypal human forms.”

Please note, the photography style of this entry is very different from my typical posts because this set of posters hangs in my home. These photos were captured with iPhone 17 Pro in situ with inconsistent lighting, angles, and reflections.

Source: Michael Schwab

Apple Desktop Publishing brochure (1986)

This Apple Desktop Publishing brochure from 1986 is titled “To find out how people like you are improving their looks….” The title is followed by black-and-white portraits with the captions Publisher, Graphic Director, Senior Designer, and Consultant. When opened, the phrase is completed by the words “just look.” along with more portraits.

The brochure follows a pattern showing each two-panel spread with a portrait, headline, quote, short story of how Apple is used, and a full color image. Many images span across the two panels and the text wraps around them. The back panel specifies that “Portraits in this brochure were created using Macintosh, LaserWriter, and MacVision. Additional hardware may be required.”

MacVision was a third-party hardware product. According to 32by32, “Koala MacVision was a $400 combination hardware/software interface to digitize still frames from a video camera or VCR. The MacVision box plugged into either the Printer or Modem port.” The software was written by Bill Atkinson, one of the original Macintosh creators and developer of HyperCard.

Folded, this brochure measures 3.75 x 8.375 inches.

Source: 32by32