Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and the brilliant mind behind countless technological advances, passed away after a long and public battle with pancreatic cancer at age 56. Jobs's list of patents and innovations is remarkable, ranging from the personal computer and the 'mouse' to various generations of handheld media players and smartphones.
With remarkable foresight, Jobs and his company directed the growth of technology and programming, in turn affecting the way our current society interacts, learns, and communicates. But his accomplishments also enter the realms of retail and design - he managed to take a multi-billion corporation in a time of revolt against big box companies and turn it into a democratic and covetable brand.
As Apple's followers and critics look back on Jobs's oeuvre, it is important to reflect on his influence on the design world, and the way companies now approach retailing their product as a result of his remarkable work.
