Susan Kare, a renowned iconographer, shares her experiences designing icons and graphics for the original Macintosh at Startup School 2026. Her talk covers her journey from an art history PhD to a pivotal role at Apple, where she created iconic designs that continue to influence modern software.
Key points
Susan Kare discusses her unexpected journey to Apple, starting as an art history PhD with no computer experience, and how she became the Macintosh artist. 2:02
Kare emphasizes the importance of meaningful and memorable design, a lesson she learned from graphic designer Paul Rand. 1:34
She describes the constraints of early Macintosh design, such as creating 16x16 black and white icons, and how these limitations spurred creativity. 8:01
Kare recounts the creation of the Chicago font, designed to improve the readability of text on the Macintosh screen. 8:50
She shares the story behind the Happy Mac icon, designed to reassure users during the computer's boot-up process. 16:00
Kare discusses the development of the Command key symbol, which was inspired by a Swedish road sign indicating a place of interest. 23:00
She reflects on the iterative design process and the importance of simplicity in icon design, using the example of the bomb icon for system failure. 19:02
Kare highlights the influence of historical art and symbols on her work, noting that many design concepts have ancient roots. 25:20
She shares advice from influential figures like Steve Jobs and Paul Rand, focusing on the value of simplicity and clarity in design. 39:01
Kare concludes with reflections on her career and the enduring impact of her work on digital design. 51:17
Quotes
"Always focus on making things meaningful and memorable."
"A smile was good... to show that everything was okay."
"If you make it really simple, everyone can project themselves onto it."