No one is saying designer Jonathan Mak ripped off Chris Thornley.
Posted online last week to honor Steve Jobs’ passing, Mak’s evocative image went viral. Groovy ran it here in our Steve Jobs Tribute Image Gallery.
Now it turns out that another designer, Chris Thornley, created this image well before.
Photo Courtesy: Chris Thornley | Photo Courtsey: Jonathan Mak |
Mak says he’d done a thorough search before creating the image that made him famous last week. Once thrilled at his instant fame, he now feels “disappointed,” he told The New York Times.
Art experts say it isn’t unusual, in digital media, to dupe design.
Juliette Cezzar, director of the communication design program at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, told The New York Times it’s become easy to find similar images and that’s a good thing.
So far, Thornley, 40, says he is eager to speak to Mak, and understands.
8 Comments
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Steve Krause
I personally prefer the Jonathan Mak design. I think the white on black and the Jobs profile looking down is more vivid and carries more impact following his death….
Austin Krause
Exactly. Thornley’s didn’t go viral, because it simply wasn’t as good.
earl
silhoutte on thornley’s is almost generic, meanwhile on maks design, ive actually seen a photo of jobs with that exact pose
the apple logo is white so i do prefer maks design
Ruthie
I prefer Mak’s design, the silhoutte of Jobs in Mak’s design looks like Jobs as opposed to the silhoutte on the Thornley, Jobs looks like an older man.
Steve Krause
It’s a bit smoother isn’t it. Well Done.
Kyra
I think J. Mak’s design is way better. The fact is Thornley is probably a nobody who now wants credit for his mediocre work! That’s just my thought! Congrats Mak!
George
Chris Thornley hasn’t provided a verifiable proof that he was the first to come up with the idea. Why was it so easy for the press to believe him? Give me a break.
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