Paul Rand 101
Without knowing it, you’ve been exposed to Paul Rand’s designs your entire life. A true graphic legend, Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum) is the mastermind behind well-known corporate logos for companies like ABC, IBM, and UPS.
Rand was born in Brooklyn (!!) in 1914 and studied at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League. This self-taught designer gained international attention at a young age for his page designs, though corporate identities are what he is most remembered for. By age 23, Rand was in charge of designing the fashion pages over at Esquire! Rand is also one of the founders of the Swiss Style of graphic design (read about Swiss Style here). Starting in 1956, Rand taught at Yale University, and was inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1972. He continued to work right until late 1996, when he died of cancer.
Random Fact: Rand consciously decided to shorten his overtly Jewish name to the more friendly-sounding Paul Rand. Some say that the “Paul Rand” persona was the very first identity he ever came up with.
Though the UPS logo was recently redone, Rand’s original lasted 40 years. Personally, I think the new logo relies too heavily on current trends. It may fit in perfectly in the design landscape of 2009, but will it be as relevant in 2015? I’m skeptical. Here’s a comparison of the two versions:
Yes, Paul Rand’s logos are simple. But they’re also timeless. Rand himself said that a logo “cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint.” The 1962 ABC logo is just a black circle with ‘abc.’ Pretty simple, right? But think about all that this logo has come to be associated with and what it represents. Anyone with a TV can look at those three letters and have their own ideas about what ABC means to them. “A logo does not sell (directly), it identifies,” said Rand. True dat, Rand. True dat.
Check out this cool video on Rand: