Paul Rand Louis Danziger: Early Life and Education
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Indisputably, Rand’s most widely known His career began with humble assignments, starting contribution to graphic design are his with a part-time position creating stock images for a corporate identities, many of which are syndicate that supplied graphics to various newspa- still in use. IBM, ABC, Cummins Engine, pers and magazines. Between his class assignments Westinghouse, and UPS, among many and his work, Rand was able to amass a fairly large others, owe their graphical heritage to portfolio, largely influenced by the German advertis- him, though UPS recently carried out a ing style Sachplakat (ornamental poster) as well as controversial update to the classic Rand the works of Gustav Jensen. design. One of his primary strengths, as Maholy-Nagy pointed out, was his abil- ity as a salesman to explain the needs his identities would address for the cor- poration. According to graphic designer Paul rand Louis Danziger: Early life and education Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum, “ We went from being commer- It was at around this time that he decided to cam- August 15, 1914 – November 26, 1996) cial artists to being graphic de- ouflage (and abbreviate) the overtly Jewish identi- was a well-known American graphic signers largely on his ty telegraphed by ‘Peretz Rosenbaum,’ shortening designer, best known for his corporate merits.” his forename to ‘Paul’ and taking ‘Rand’ from an logo designs. Rand was educated at the uncle to form his new surname. Morris Wyszogrod, Pratt Institute (1929-1932), the Parsons a friend and associate of Rand, noted that “he fig- School of Design (1932-1933), and the ured that ‘Paul Rand,’ four letters here, four letters Art Students League (1933-1934). He Although his logos may be interpreted there, would create a nice symbol. So he became was one of the originators of the Swiss as simplistic, Rand was quick to point Paul Rand.” Peter Behrens notes the importance of Style of graphic design. From 1956 to out in A Designer’s Art that “ideas do this new title: “Rand’s new persona, which served 1969, and beginning again in 1974, Rand not need to be esoteric to be original as the brand name for his many accom taught design at Yale University in New or exciting.” His American Broadcasting Haven, Connecticut. Rand was inducted Company trademark, created in 1962, into the New York Art Directors Club epitomizes that ideal of minimalism Hall of Fame in 1972. He designed many while proving Rand’s point that a logo posters and corporate identities, includ- “cannot survive unless it is designed ing the logos for IBM, UPS and ABC. with the utmost simplicity and re- Rand died of cancer in 1996. straint.”.