Susan Kare explains Macintosh UI ergonomics on the Computer Chronicles (1984)
erg0steur2 HN recommenders · recommended in 2 months, 2020–2022
interview · general · evergreen · 2020–2022 on HN
A 1984 Computer Chronicles segment in which Susan Kare explains the ergonomics and interface design of the original Macintosh. She introduces the interface step by step for newcomers.
Praised as a lesson in explaining technology to non-technical people and as a window into early Mac design.
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5 comments from Hacker News
I love this video of Kare giving an introduction to the Mac interface on "Computer Chronicles" back in 1984 [1]. At first it seems quaint to see how slowly and carefully she explains what we now consider to be basic UI features. But then you realize that for many people in the world, a desktop computer is just as strange and confusing to them now as it was to most people back then. I think some of us (me included) would do well to keep this video in mind when explaining technology to non-technical people. [1] ▶ this video
Yeah, I'm kinda getting into these vids from the seventies and eighties. “Introducing The Amazing Compact Disc, 1982” link — “You can pick it up and move around, even shake, and nothing happens”, yeah sure bud. “Introduction to Microsoft Excel, 1992” link “Susan Kare explains Macintosh UI ergonomics on the Computer Chronicles, 1984” ▶ this video — the control panel is just astounding by modern standards, especially seeing as for me the control panel is a litmus test of an OS interface. Also one of my favorite music-making tutorials is the three-part, three-hour series ‘Intro to Synthesis’ from sometime in the early 80s: link — instead of going through all the terminology in ten minutes and one second, the guy takes his time twiddling knobs and showing what each one does.
"Susan Kare explains Macintosh UI ergonomics on the Computer Chronicles (1984)" ▶ this video She's demonstrating something pretty new and significant to a lot of people. Maybe software job interviews have followed a related arc, to amped-up performance art rituals and shibboleths, from genuine meaningful down-to-earth conversation.
Ok, we've changed the URL to that from ▶ this video above. Thanks! (I changed the timestamp to where they start interviewing Susan Kare.)
> The person missing from this list who I'd like to see added is Susan Kare. She defined the look of the original Mac and iPod, designing its original bitmap fonts and icons. Hugely influential. Absolutely! Susan Kare explains Macintosh UI ergonomics: ▶ this video