Susan Kare is a significant figure in the world of graphic design, often referred to as “The Woman Behind Apple’s First Icons.” Kare is credited with pioneering pixel art and the graphical user interface, having spent three decades at the forefront of human-machine interaction. She not only influenced the visual language of early personal computers but also made a lasting impact on graphic design. Between 1983 and 1986, Kare contributed interface elements and typefaces for the first Apple Macintosh personal computer. She was also the 10th official employee and Creative Director at NeXT, the company founded by Steve Jobs after he departed from Apple in 1985. Kare has worked as a design consultant for Microsoft, IBM, Sony Pictures, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Susan Kare’s early life
Susan Kare was born on February 5, 1954, in Ithaca, New York, USA. Raised in a family with a strong academic background, Kare showed early signs of creativity and artistic talent. She attended high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where her interest in art and design began to flourish. After high school, Kare pursued her passion for art and attended Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where she studied art. When Kare graduated in 1975, she continued her education at New York University, earning a master’s degree and Ph. D. in fine arts. Susan Kare’s early life laid the groundwork for her illustrious career in design, showcasing her innate talent and passion for art from a young age. Her journey from academic pursuits to becoming a trailblazer in digital design is a testament to her creativity, innovation, and dedication to her craft.
Exploring Susan Kare’s Most Recognizable Work
Kare’s career in design took off when she joined Apple Computer, Inc. in January 1983. She became one of the pioneering members of the Macintosh design team, working closely with Steve Jobs and other visionaries to shape the graphical user interface (GUI) of the Macintosh computer. Her iconic work included designing many of the original Macintosh’s graphical elements, such as fonts, icons, and interface graphics, which laid the foundation for modern computer interfaces. However, Kare’s Apple story began in late 1982, when she received a phone call from her high school friend Andy Hertzfeld. He asked her to hand-draw a few icons and font elements to inspire the upcoming Macintosh computer, promising an Apple II computer as payment for her work. Recognizing the Macintosh as the first affordable nontechnical computer for regular consumers, Kare knew the icons needed to be universally inviting and intuitive to use. Despite having no experience in computer graphics or pixel art, she drew upon her fine art background in mosaics, needlepoint, and pointillism. Following Hertzfeld’s suggestion, she purchased a US$2. 50 grid notebook to create several 32 × 32 pixel representations of software commands and applications, including an icon of scissors for the “cut” command, a finger for “paste”, and a paintbrush for MacPaint.
It just so happened that I had small black and white grids to work with,” she says. “The process reminded me of working needlepoint, knitting patterns or mosaics. I was lucky to have had a mother who enjoyed crafts.
Susan Kare – Interview with Smithsonian Magazine in 2019
Kare’s quirky personality was essential to the budding culture and lore of the early Macintosh team and product. She stunned the staff of accomplished pixel artists and engineers with her unexpectedly personable renditions of their portraits in the standard 32 × 32 pixel monochrome resolution for icons. Working as the only graphic designer in a team of programmers with Hertzfeld as the primary requester, she spent hours, sometimes days at a time developing a rich selection of graphics for the consensus-driven feedback loop for each GUI element. Kare participated heavily in the pre-release marketing campaign for the Macintosh in 1983 by posing for magazine photo shoots, appearing in television advertisements, and demonstrating the Mac on television talk shows.
Along with the Macintosh icons, Susan Kare also designed several of the original Macintosh fonts, including:
- Athens: A slab-serif typeface characterized by bold, clean lines.
- Chicago: A bold sans serif which was the default system font up to System 7. 6 and later appeared on iPods. Chicago was the first font designed for the Macintosh which Kare originally named Elefont.
- Geneva: A sans-serif font which bore a striking similarity to the famous Helvetica typeface. An offshoot of Geneva named Simple was used in Apple’s Newton OS.
- Monaco: A monospaced, sans-serif typeface and one of the very few old-world Mac fonts still in use.
- New York: Inspired by Times New Roman, this bitmap font was the default serif typeface on the original Macintosh.
- Cairo: A dingbat font that featured the famous Clarus the Dogcow as the ‘z’ character. Clarus became the archetype of surrealistic humour in the corporate culture of the original Macintosh group, particularly as the mascot of Apple’s Developer Technical Support. She has an entry dedicated to her in the official support documents and has since become a cult favourite among Apple enthusiasts.
- Although not originally designed by Kare, she played a significant role in developing the San Francisco font. Originally named Ransom, San Francisco was designed to mimic a note created out of magazine clippings.
Kare was also responsible for assigning the looped square symbol to the Command Key on the Mac III. This decision came after a last-minute request from Steve Jobs to replace the Apple logo on the menus. Despite being informed that the command key symbol needed to be displayed with each item that had one and that the team had only a few days to find a replacement, Jobs insisted on changing the Apple icon to something else. Since then, the symbol has become synonymous with keyboard shortcuts in Mac operating systems. Although the symbol is believed to have Nordic origins dating back centuries, Kare discovered it in an international symbol dictionary. The entry likely described how the symbol was used on road signs to indicate locations of cultural interest. This practice originated in Finland in the 1950s and later spread to other Nordic countries in the 1960s.
The Impact of Intuitive Icons: Enhancing User Interface Design for Improved User Experience
The importance of user interface (UI) design is paramount. A crucial aspect of UI design involves the use of intuitive icons, which are graphic symbols representing various functions or actions within an app or website. These icons aim to be easily recognisable and understandable to users, eliminating the need for lengthy explanations or text labels. They contribute to creating a visually appealing and simple navigation interface, thereby enhancing the product’s usability and efficiency. Intuitive design employs familiar visual cues like a magnifying glass for search functions or a bin/trash can for deletion purposes, aiding users in quickly grasping features. This reduces cognitive load and boosts efficiency. Carefully designed graphics help users navigate tasks, provide feedback, and create an engaging experience. High-quality visuals are vital in building trust and credibility with users; an attractive interface promotes a professional image leading to increased engagement, better retention rates, and stronger customer loyalty. By incorporating intuitive icons and user-friendly graphics into their platforms, businesses can significantly improve the overall user experience.
Breaking Gender Barriers: Female Pioneers in a Male-Dominated Industry
Even in the present day, achieving gender equality remains a significant concern within the tech industry, and the realm of graphic design is no different. Historically, women have encountered numerous hurdles to entering this predominantly male field. Nonetheless, there have been remarkable female trailblazers who have made substantial strides in technology, paving the path for future generations of women in the field. While these instances underscore individual triumphs, it is crucial to recognize that many historical barriers remain in the tech sector. Women still encounter obstacles such as gender-based prejudice, sexual harassment, unequal compensation, and limited avenues for career progression. However, efforts are underway to tackle these issues and foster gender parity in technology. Organizations like Girls Who Code offer resources and assistance to young girls aspiring to pursue careers in technology-related fields. Moreover, businesses are increasingly acknowledging the significance of diversity and inclusivity by implementing policies that promote equal opportunities for all staff members. Throughout history, women have made noteworthy contributions to graphic design and technology, notwithstanding the myriad challenges they have confronted. By honouring their achievements and advocating for gender equality within the tech industry, we can cultivate an environment where individuals of all gender identities can flourish.
The Legacy Continues: Shaping the Visual Language of Technology
Today, Susan Kare’s work has a cult following, and the descendants of her groundbreaking designs at Apple during the 1980s are now ubiquitous in computing and print. Over the decades, she has influenced the visual language of the industry, with her work seen in products from industry giants like Microsoft Windows, IBM OS/2, Facebook, and Pinterest. Her iconic portfolio has been showcased in physical prints at prestigious institutions such as the National Museum of American History, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. In conclusion, Susan Kare has left a lasting impact on the world of graphic design and digital artistry. Her contributions are immeasurable, as her iconic designs have shaped the visual language of technology and are instantly recognizable. Kare’s legacy continues to inspire new generations of graphic designers and digital artists. Her talent and vision are evident in her ability to create simple yet impactful designs that resonate with people.