Ode to Steve: Steve Jobs Day, October 14, 2011

iMiss You.

Today, October 14, is Steve Jobs Day. About a week earlier, the couple days after Steve Jobs' death, one of my librarian colleagues came to my office to tell me he had heard about a Dress Like Steve Jobs Day coming sometime soon, but didn't know exactly when. I thought that was a pleasant way for the masses to honour the former founder and CEO of Apple's memory. A few days after receiving my first notice the tribute day was coming, my librarian colleague took time out of his busy day while preparing to open a new library branch to phone me: "Scot, I just found out tomorrow is Steve Jobs Day." Fortunately, my own ubiquitous black mock turtleneck shirt and blue jeans were easily at hand back home.


You can find out more about Steve Jobs Day and the Dress Like Steve Jobs Day event at the links below:


Steve Jobs Day
http://stevejobsday2011.com/index.php


Steve Jobs Day
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=167358663346841


Dress Up Like Steve Jobs Day
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130179840411684


Steve Jobs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs


Steve Jobs Greatest Achievements
www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/steve-jobs-greatest-achievements/?mbid=wir_newsltr&pid=2452


And my personal favourite web site about Steve that includes links to YouTube videos of interest:
http://allaboutstevejobs.com

Thinking about Steve at my desk.

Prior to even knowing about these events, I already had printed out a photo of Steve and pinned it to my bulletin board at my desk at work. It provided a reminder that gave me pause to think on my own experience using Apple products. 


I was a graphic designer in 1986 when the Mac Classic came to the market. The company I worked for, the Dallas Times Herald, made a big push to begin use off-the-shelf computer products to create computer-generated art in its newspaper. The transition from using rapidiograph pens on vellumn paper, waxing galleys of text to blue line mechanicals, and cutting rubylith and amberlith films for colour separations took time, but we were all about finding ways to do our job faster, easier, and with more efficiency. Apple products made that possible, and as they continued to improve on their products, so did I. The largest portion of my design work has been created on Apple products; all of my industry awards are a direct result of using products Steve Jobs had a hand in creating. So I have a lot to thank Apple--and by extension--Steve Jobs for. A lot has been said about Steve's visionary instincts for developing products, masterful abilities as a marketeur, personal leadership style, and more. I can't add more to that, so I offer the collection of references above for your enjoyment and appreciation of a man that made a HUGE difference in the world.


But wait, there's one more thing.


www.apple.com/stevejobs