SUSAN KARE
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SUSAN KARE •
SUSAN KARE
booklet based off susan kare, a graphic designer.
Mission Statement
Susan Kare is an American graphic designer and artist, best known for her work on the original Apple Macintosh from 1983 to 1986. She played a key role in shaping the visual language of early personal computing by designing some of the Mac’s most iconic interface elements.
Target Audience
This booklet is designed for design students, creative professionals, and tech enthusiasts who are interested in the history of digital design. It’s for the readers who appreciate minimalist aesthetics, iconic design, and the intersection of technology and art.
Moodboards
The first board captures the simple, functional design of early digital aesthetics, while the second shows her bitmap icons, grid sketches, and classic typefaces like Chicago. I drew inspiration from both to shape the visual tone of my booklet.
Sketches
I sketched front and back cover ideas based off the moodboards and my knowledge from researching Susan Kare, and just trying to show the pixel aesthetic I was going for. I also sketched layout concepts for the inside pages of the booklet.
Digital Drafts
I chose to base the layout on MacPaint, the software Susan Kare used to design many of her iconic typefaces and symbols. I wanted the design to echo the look of MacPaint, but with a twist, I replaced the original tools and icons with ones created by Susan Kare herself. I also included one of her quotes on the back cover to further highlight her voice.
Typography & Color Palette
The color palette is inspired by my moodboards, chosen to maintain a simple, pixelated aesthetic. For the typography, I selected a pixelated typeface for the main copy to reflect Susan Kare’s iconic style, paired with a clean sans-serif typeface to show contrast.
Final Booklet
The final booklet shows every page in order, including the front and back cover. Each page is laid out to capture the essence of Susan Kare’s iconic designs, with explanations of her creative process and notable works.
Mockups
The mockups include front and back covers, four interior pages, the booklet partially visible from a backpack, an Instagram story post by Susan Kare showing her love for the booklet, and stickers of her iconic designs on a Mac laptop.
