Women Who Reimagined Our World: Susan Kare
When it comes to reimagining the way we communicate with our computers, desktops and cell phones, Susan Kare stands at the apex of the modern graphic design. When you turn on your computer and are greeted with warm and friendly icons such as the smiley face when you first turn it on or the trash can for dumping files or the computer disk icon where you save your files, you can thank Susan Kare.
Kare is responsible for the early creation of iconic symbols we see on our computer desktops. She helped design an early set of fonts that were used in Macintosh computers for over a decade. She is often referred to as the “woman who gave the Macintosh a smile.” Her designs humanized the computer at a time when we were just beginning to unlock its full potential. Modern communication with our cellphones and computers has a human touch that makes it easy to use, thanks to Susan Kare.
Let’s Take a Closer Look
Born in 1954, in Ithaca, New York, Susan Kare wanted to be a fine arts teacher or a sculptor. Thankfully for us, her life took a unexpected turn to technology. In 1983, Kare was asked to join Apple by a high school friend. She was tasked with designing the icons and typeface for the Mac’s operating system. One tiny problem—Kare had never worked with typeface. But she quickly learned. When she was finished, she had designed the user-friendly icons that helped make the Macintosh computer one of the most iconic early desktops.
Before Kare’s designs, personal computing had a communication problem. Its potential was incredible but it was inaccessible. Kare’s early designs helped to humanize the complex personal computer. Her contribution to the world of communication is immense. She inserted an artist’s touch into the world of engineers. Modern personal computing, a system we all depend on, is better off because of Susan Kare.
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A Note from Senior Designer Julia Vasenina
Some of the most influential design decisions are so seamlessly integrated into daily life that we rarely stop to question where they began. Susan Kare is one of those rare designers whose work changed not only how systems look, but how they are understood and felt. The smile of the Happy Mac. The warmth of “hello.” The clarity of the Command key. A visual language that turned something technical and unfamiliar into something intuitive, memorable, and human.
Instead of building a straightforward portrait, I approached the composition as a visual system organized around her influence, structured, precise, and quietly alive with the language she helped bring into the world. The surrounding elements are meant to feel familiar and instinctive, echoing a design logic so effective it became part of everyday experience.
She didn’t just design icons. She helped give digital systems a human face.
And that kind of contribution doesn’t fade. It becomes part of how the world works.
