Paul Rand

Paul Rand (1914-1996) was a pioneering figure in American graphic design. Adopting what he called a 'problem-solving' approach to design, he drew on the ideas of European avant-garde art movements and synthesized them to produce his own distinctive graphic language. As an art director, teacher, writer and design consultant to companies including IBM and UPS, he was a major force and influence in the field of graphics and visual communication and enjoyed an enthusiastic and committed following.

Rand's career spanned almost seven decades and numerous chapters of design history. His own books are solidly thematic, whereas this definitive collection of his key published and proposed works is medium-driven. It explores the full range of his advertising, publishing and corporate identity work. Armin Hofmann, the eminent Swiss graphic designer and educator, contributes a foreword reflecting on Rand's importance in the creation of a new visual culture. George Lois, one of the most inventive figures in advertising and a follower of Rand, writes an inspiring introduction. Jessica Helfand, one of Rand's former Yale students and a highly respected design writer, has captured his educational achievements in a lively concluding essay.