Behind the walls of Apple: Chapter 6

It would be an aphorism to state that Apple obsesses over the incredible details of the first moments of customer experience- the packaging & the Apple store.

Steve’s DNA to refuse “No” is transcended into everyone in charge anywhere of this experience.

The Apple Packaging: A vendor reported back that a certain package feature was problematic and needed to be changed.

The designer had created a gorgeous box worthy of a new Apple device. Inside, the product sat in a recessed compartment supported by a tiny piece of Styrofoam.

That piece was so delicate, it was causing a problem in the manufacturing process. It was melting from the heat of the molding machines.

The vendor duly told Apple that it wasn’t a solvable problem—the box had to be redesigned to accommodate the laws of physics.

Plus, Steve Jobs had already approved this design, as he had approved every detail of the product itself.

True to the Apple way, the designers did not want to compromise.

?In a not-so-veiled threat, they told the vendor that Apple wasn’t going to redesign the package—instead, he would have to redesign his machines.

?If the metal molds were getting too hot, why not make new molds from aluminum?

At great expense, that’s what the vendor did. Soon the Styrofoam pieces were being churned out without a hitch.

Owners of these particular Apple devices were able to enjoy the ideal unboxing experience—even though it’s doubtful that even one of them ever noticed that little piece of Styrofoam hidden within.

The Apple designers recognized that when the vendor said, “It can’t be done,” what he really meant was that it couldn’t be done without extraordinary effort.

The Apple Store:

In those days Apple was recovering from a near-death experience.

Steve believed that if someone could sit down with customers & show them how easy it was to use iMac, they would be easier to convince.

There were very fewer stores & the salespeople didn’t care enough that it was APPLE.

Apple had just started its online Apple Store, but it was devoid of personal experience.

And so, the idea of the Apple Store was born. The greatest retail success story.

When Apple unveiled the concept, big news channels published articles headlined: “Sorry, Steve: Here’s Why Apple Stores Won’t Work.”

It now has 512 retail stores across 25 countries.

Starting in 2008, Apple generates 30% of its revenue from Apple stores.

Let’s unbox the store.

Apple hired brilliant architects and designers.

?It used only the highest-quality materials to bring its vision to life, even if that meant transporting materials from distant countries.

The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York, for example, would become a famous landmark in a city of high-rises, even though it rises only thirty-two feet in the air.

In that store, the floor tiles were of a quality that could be found in only one place on earth, a quarry in Italy.

The stainless steel of the support columns was born of a process that could only be found in Tokyo. The glass components were the creation of a design firm in Germany.

?The critics didn’t know that they were building the physical representation of the brand.

As dozens of new Apple Stores began to appear, each was built to the same high standards, with key flagship stores bordering on the spectacular.

Steve Jobs learned early that if you have a great idea, you need to ignore the negativity and concentrate on moving forward. Even if that meant to go to extremes for making your ideas survive.