Paul Rand Was An Overachiever

In a video found here Designer Paul Rand tells us, "No matter how good you do something, it can always be improved." But in scratching the surface that is Paul Rand's career you have to wonder if he really lived by his own advice.

With notable logos like NeXT Computer, ABC and IBM, Rand's work seems effortlessly executed and perfectly balanced between form and content, giving example to the countless designers that follow his influential teachings. Nearly everything you can find on Rand seems so stupidly simple you have to wonder if he ever sketched a thumbnail. Undoubtedly he did and success like Rand's can only be interpreted as the outcome of a lot of hard work and most importantly, good old fashioned smarts. Wikipedia (ever the credible source) quotes Rand as saying, a logo "cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint." Right you are Paul. Rand's UPS logo was completed in 1961 and after 42 years (!) the public begrudgingly accepted a new logo for the company in 2003 who sought to expand their image of "packaged delivery into a broader array of supply chain services."

Similarly, Rand's IBM logo has been a staple of American industry since 1956 when Rand was hired by IBM's newest CEO to give the company a more lasting and stately brand. In 1972 Rand updated the logo by adding 8 horizontal lines and adding the suggestion of "speed and dynamism."


Note to self: pick up as many Paul Rand books as possible and study, study, study.

This man obviously knew what he was talking about and professionally speaking, if I can create something that continues to represent the original idea even 42 years after I've created it, well then I'm allowed to pat myself on the back. Frequently. And in public.


This is also very interesting.