Q. Where did modern graphic design come from?

A. Paul Rand. Labelled by Steve Jobs as “the greatest living graphic designer,” Rand had a great appreciation and studied knowledge of European artists and advertising styles. Many of his designs were produced free of charge in exchange for artistic freedom. Though largely known for his famous corporate logo designs of the 50s and 60s, he made his reputation early in his twenties with his work in page design.

Rand stated that a logo “cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint.” His appreciation of the minimalistic was exemplified through his famous American Broadcasting Company trademark, created in 1962.

Celebrating the works of Cézanne and Tschichold, Rand's core ideology was modernist philosophy and the idea of “defamiliarizing the ordinary”. He loathed the rise of postmodernist theory and aesthetic in design that began in the 1990s and resigned his position at Yale in protest of the appointment of postmodern and feminist designer Sheila Levrant de Bretteville. Though criticized for his strong disapproval of new movements in design, he remains widely considered as intrinsic to the development of the graphic design profession.

Paul Rand Logos