THNDRuS

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so the saying goes. But in execution, imitation is a drought of originality and when referring to creative works can be viewed as ‘cheap’, possessing no imputed essence from a designer rather a shadow of someone else’s work. Imitations almost certainly cut corners and lack a depth of understanding.

In the technology world, no company imputes more original ideas into their products than Apple. It seems life imitates art, in particular Apple’s art, when it comes to the various electronic devices we’ve come to love in the digital age. Even outside of computing, Apple’s aesthetic has been the tour de force in product design language. So it’s no wonder that themes and motifs first introduced by Apple, which have enjoyed great success among the faithful, get duplicated by other manufacturers and industries. Translucent plastics, glossy white shells, recessed keyboards, metal casings have all become en vogue because of Apple’s creative genius.

In the recently released Walter Isaacson biography, the late Steve Jobs was once presented with the question on whether Apple needed market focus groups. To this he replies that people don’t yet know what they want until Apple shows them. The persistence of Apple’s originality stream has been the lifeblood of the company ever since emerging from the brink of insolvency in the late nineties. With an almost oracle-like sensibility to the next ‘big thing’, Apple has continued to lead by pushing ideas that are far ahead of what anyone else has esteemed.

The horror! The whore!

Because of this, competitors are keen to figure out how to duplicate and cash in on Apple’s successes. Enter Samsung. Like other great Korean copy-cat companies such as pre-2010 car companies Hyundai and KIA, Samsung has done well with bastardizing Apple’s look and feel into it’s Galaxy lineup of Android smartphones and iPod-like devices. I was first made aware of this when I walked past a Best Buy shelf with iPod Touches and iPods lined-up next to Galaxy products. I actually stopped, looked at the boxes for the Galaxy and for a second thought it was an iPhone. Then, realizing the trick had been played, I frowned as my blood began to boil. Not only was the box the same dimension, but it was white with the same silvery typeface, the image of the Galaxy positioned exactly like the iPhone, even the beveling of the rectangles surrounding the capacity figures was imitated. Everything screamed Apple knock-off; a cheap, un-original attempt to screw unknowing customers into purchasing. I was highly offended and promptly tweeted about it before leaving the isle.

What really makes this damning is the fact that Samsung is presently engaged in an all-out assault on Apple in court systems around the world, trying to prevent the sale and distribution of devices that it claims infringe on it’s own patents. What I saw was not just a copy, but a beckoning taunt at Apple saying ‘come on, sue us.’ In the end however, as much as Samsung would like to duplicate Apple’s success, they will fail because ideas, good ideas, are a priceless commodity and you either have them or you don’t.

[Ad from Samsung poking fun at Apple's loyal customer base. Jealous much?]

In his biography, Jobs speaks about the realization of ‘the company’ as the most robust and powerful entity for creativity. With sufficient funding, and the right people, art can abound at unprecedented levels not seen in previous generations. Apple is one of the few companies that understands how genuine design and the power of original ideas can unleash creative potential and push humanity forward. They understand that their products must impute essence, embody simplicity, and generate integrated authenticity in a world that is full of half-baked attempts and underachieving products.

I can put up with bad design, but imitations anger me. If other companies would create genuine products that inspire, they too could affect positive change that benefits all of us. There is just something about using a product that is made well, that has purpose and essence, that knows it’s place, that’s confident in it’s design, that’s original. These intangible properties are what drives good design and pushes creativity forward.