Paul Rand (1914-1996)

When I was still in school my professor introduced me to Paul Rand's work, but it wasn't until after I graduated and I was working on my first freelance project that I really took notice. I was designing an identity and needed inspiration and help. My professor let me borrow an original process book made by Rand for the presentation of his NeXT computers identity to the company. This book outlined every reason for every step, every color, every angle, and every shape he used in creating his identity. There was nothing useless or unintentional. His process and his philosophy helped me to work out the identity I was working on, and I turn to his identities for inspiration whenever I need it.

I came across this quote by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy in Communication Arts March/April 1999 issue describing Paul Rand as “an idealist and a realist using the language of the poet and the businessman. He thinks in terms of need and function. He is able to analyze his problems, but his fantasy is boundless.” It is a beautiful quote accurately illustrating Rand's style. It is because of this philosophy that Rand's art is able to be successful and endure.

Paul Rand was a four-career man. At the age of 23, Rand began his career as art director of Esquire and Apparel Arts. His extensive design education inspired his distinct style -- a marriage of modern typography with nineteenth-century engravings. The transition to his second career in advertising was marked by a series of cover designs for "Direction," a culture magazine publishing avante-gardists such as Le Corbusier and Jean Cocteau. Rand worked for free, claiming that the removal of financial obligation inspired more honest art. The covers immediately caught New York's attention with their propaganda-free style, identifiable imagery, and often hand-written text. As an ad designer, Rand worked on projects for Orbach's department store and for various brandy and cigar companies.

In 1954, Rand began his third career in corporate identification. He collaborated with giants such as IBM, ABC, and UPS to create their internationally recognized logos.

Towards the end of his life, Rand taught at several colleges and universities. He published children's books with his wife, Ann Rand, which are notable for their clear and youthful style. They lived for many years in Weston, Connecticut, in a home of Paul's own design. Paul Rand died in 1996.

- art and culture network

I have included a collection of Paul Rand's identity designs:

Ford came to Paul Rand to re-design their identity but in the end chose not to use his design.

Paul Rand links:

Paul Rand: Bibliography as Biography | Paul Rand's geometry books | Discovering some of the books originally donated to Yale's library from Paul Rand's personal library at used book stores in Boston. 9/2/03 & 6/16/03

Communication Arts feature | Design Pioneers - Paul Rand. Originally published in Communication Arts March/April 1999

art and culture network| A nice bio of Paul Rand featuring his four careers. Quoted above.

DLS Design | A tribute designed by DLS Design. Paul Rand: A Master's Peaks

mkgraphic interview | Paul Rand: Graphic Designer by Michael Kroeger. Interview conducted on Wednesday 08 February 1995 -- 09:00 am

Eye Bee M Screensaver 1 (link has been removed) | IBM's Europe, Middle East and Africa website. You'll find a cute animated screen saver of Rand's Eye Bee M logo here (PC only, 1997).

Eye Bee M Screensaver 2 (link has been removed) | IBM's ThinkPad website. The second version of the animated Eye Bee M screensaver (PC only, 2002).

Eye Bee M Merchandise (link has been removed) | IBM's Deutchland website. What a wonderful world: die Eye-Bee-M Kollektion 2003/2004.