Paul Rand - Design Histories and Futures

Running Head: ART & ARCHITECTURE 1
Paul Rand - Design Histories and Futures
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Introduction
There are very few designers whose work and name are etched forever in the history of
designing, and Paul Rand is one of them. The influential graphic designer revolutionized the
world of graphics and gave the art of graphic designing a respectable status. He is best known for
his logo designing and corporate branding.
Rand was born in 1914 in Brooklyn and grew up in a strict Orthodox Jewish family. His
artistic interest was evident even as a young child when he drew and painted signs. He educated
himself about art in New York Public Library and got a part-time job in the early 1930s (Heller,
1997). His works show his keen understanding of designs and identity. He could use different
elements of designs to create a nice symbol that became a brand name or corporate identity.
What people saw was not just a logo or design, but identified with the brand through the design.
Rand died in 1996, but his works remain very much alive in exhibitions and collections.
Rand's body of work
Paul Rind’s illustrious career spanned well over six decades of design history. His
graphic designing style elevated the art to a higher profession. He began working during the
thirties while he was a teen and by the early 1940s, he had already left a significant impact on
advertising, package design, book, and magazine (Heller, 1997). Rand studied at the Pratt
Institute and Parsons School of Design. He worked for renowned clients like ABC, UPS,
Westinghouse and others (Montgomery, 2015). It is remarkable to see how he established a
strong presence in the field of design in a short time. Rand's early, illustrative works show the
influence of reductive German advertising and Jensen. There was no distinctive Paul Rand look
in the earlier times as he freelanced for many clients (Heller, 1997). He is known as one of the
most iconic graphic designers of the 20th century. One can see how he borrowed elements from

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Bauhaus, de Stijl, and constructive designs from fine artists such as Matisse, Klee, Miro, and
others (Johnson, 2015). His graphic work earned international recognition and made him famous,
and he became a brand himself.
Examples of designs
Rand is often referred to as the “Picasso of Graphic design.” He shook up the world of
American advertising and book cover designing during the fifties. Later he created famous logos
for the well-known brands (Johnson, 2015). He infused branding in business with the help of his
clever designs. His vast body of work includes vintage magazines, book covers, children’s books
and more. One can see the lively and humorous mix of drawing, painting, lettering, photographic
montage and painting in his designs.
Fig 1: Montgomery, A. (2015). Paul Rand remembered - Retrieved from
https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/2-8-march-2015-2/paul-rand-he-single-handedly-
convinced-business-that-design-was-an-effective-tool/