Paul RandGraphic Designer

““Design is the method of

putting form and content

together. Design, just as

art, has multiple definitions,

there is no single definition.

Design can be art. Design

can be

aesthetics.

Design is so simple,

that’s why it is so

complicated.”

Everythingis design.

“Paull Rand almost single

handedly turned commercial

artists into graphic designers

during the fifties and sixties.

Rand was able to convince the

business world that design was

a useful and effective tool.

Everything!

“A logo does not sell,

The business of creating and

designing logos and corporate

identities was booming in the late

1980’s, which is when Steven

Jobs, founder of Apple Computer

Company, specifically sought

out Rand to design the new logo

for his new educational program

NeXT. Jobs said that Rand solved

a great design problem for his

company and created a little

“jewel” with the name of the

company contained within it.

it identifies.”

Jobs also commented on

Rands method by saying

“He really approached it

as a problem that had to be

solved, not an artistic chal-

lenge for his own sake.”

Rand made his career off of being simple and clear with his

designs to communicate as accurately as possible to the view-

ers the intended message. “We’re being paid to be interesting,

to make things better than they are, to make things memorable,

but you don’t do it by being complicated. Complexity is not the

solution to complex problems.”

designis good business.”

“Good

Rand approached his work as

a visual problem that needed

to be solved. His solutions

were always most effective

when he stayed simple and

direct with his visuals. Rand

fully believe in staying true to

starting out simple with pencil

and paper and building up his

ideas until they were precise

and clear.

When Rand was 80 he was

quoted saying, “I couldn’t do

the work i do today without

computers. Its fast and for

production, but i do not see it

as a means of creation to me,

I don’t need it to do any creative

work, I use it to do production

work. You dont get the same

satisfaction from a machine as

you do from the hand. The

satisfaction of acheivment.”

Original...“Don’t try to be

Original...

...just try to be good.”

and modest

It is the by-product of a

is not the goal.“Simplicity

good idea

expectations.”

Simplicity was not the only

focus for Rand, he believed

aesthetics were the basis for

all good design solutions but

without unneseccary clutter and

complexity. “My only concern is

to make our environment beau-

tiful.” Being able to communi-

cate clearly through a simple

design is one of the hardest

acheivements to accomplish as

a designer. “Simplicity is not

just a mannerism but a goal. It’s

very difficult to be simple and

be interesting.”

Heller Steven, Paul Rand, (London, Phaidon, 1999), 34.Heller Steven, p 36.Heller Steven, p 38.Heller Steven, p 43.Heller Steven, p 145.Heller Steven, p 189.

Designed and written by Vanessa DeMarsComposed in Futura, Typeface

Copyright © 2012 Vanessa DeMars, Portland, Maine College of Art