About
Paul Rand
Paul RandÕs stature as one of the worldÕs leading graphic designers is
incontestable. For half a century, his pioneering work in the field of
advertising design and typography has exerted a profound influence on the
design profession; he almost single-handedly transformed Òcommercial artÓ from
a practice that catered to the lowest common denominator of taste to one that
could assert its place among the other fine arts. Among the numerous clients
for whom he has been a consultant and/or designer are the American Broadcasting
Company, IBM Corporation, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
Paul RandÕs vast experience has included magazine and advertising agency art
direction, packaging, book illustration, and typography, as well as painting
and art education. He has taught at Pratt Institute and Cooper Union and
recently became professor emeritus at Yale University. During his lifetime he
has been honored with prestigious awards from many professional and academic
groups, and his work is in the permanent collections of museums in the United
States, Europe, and Japan.
Thoughts on Design:
Excerpt from a talk between John Maeda and Paul
Rand
On November 14, 1996, shortly before Paul Rand died, the MIT Media Lab was
honored with his presence and his wife Marion Rand. Paul Rand gave an inspiring
and entertaining lecture to an overflowing crowd at the Bartos Theatre.
Q: ÒWhat is design?Ó
PR: ÒDesign 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 esthetics. Design is so simple, thatÕs why it
is so complicated.Ó
Q: ÒWhat is the difference between Ôgood' design and Ôbad' design?Ó
PR: ÒA bad design is irrelevant. It is superficial, pretentious, ...basically
like all the stuff you see out there today.Ó
Q: ÒWhat are the fundamental skills of a designer?Ó
PR: ÒThe fundamental skill is talent. Talent is a rare commodity. ItÕs
all intuition. And you canÕt teach intuition.Ó
Q: ÒMost of your designs have lasted for several decades, what would
you say is your secret?Ó
PR: ÒKeeping it simple. Being honest, I mean, completely objective about your
work. Working very hard at it.Ó
ÓÉthe language of the computer is the language of technology, not the language
of design. Without a knowledge of design, the computer (like the pencil) is
more than useless, for it is capable of producing enough superfluous material
to create the illusion, that one is inventing when in fact, one is merely
producing variations of a theme, often of nothingness.ÒÑPaul Rand, Design Form
and Chaos, 1993
http://www.brodynewmedia.com/html/sarah_pr.html
Name____________________________
Period______
1. Career: List each company for which he designed a
logo
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2. Text: List two books he wrote
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3. Education: List a school he attend
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4. Academia: List the universities he taught at
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5. Contributions: List two contributions Paul Rand made
to the field of design.
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7.
Write a one-paragraph biography about Paul Rand and his contributions to the
field of design.
Typed in word
8. Choose one quote of his
and explain.
Typed in word
9. Locate and save from the
web images of his work (5 images)
place image in word