"Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated."
About Paul Rand
Paul Rand — Life and Legacy
Paul Rand was a seminal figure in graphic design, renowned for his innovative approach to branding and visual communication. His work, including logos for major corporations like IBM and ABC, exemplifies his belief that design should be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Rand famously stated, 'Design is the silent ambassador of your brand,' reflecting his understanding of how visual elements convey a brand's essence without the need for words. His philosophy centered around the idea that 'Everything is design,' which challenges the perception that design is merely decorative. Instead, Rand argued that thoughtful design can enhance the user experience and influence perception in profound ways. This perspective is evident in his work, where he seamlessly blended simplicity with creativity, creating designs that are both memorable and effective. Rand's influence on modern graphic design is undeniable; he set a standard for clarity and purpose in visual communication. His assertion that 'Good design is good business' highlights the integral role of design in achieving business objectives, making it clear that effective branding is essential for success. Today, his quotes and ideas continue to resonate, inspiring designers to prioritize both creativity and functionality in their work.
Quote collection
Paul Rand quotes (page 1 of 2)
21 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Design is everything. Everything!"
"Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations."
"Don't try to be original; just try to be good."
"Design is a way of life, a point of view. It involves the whole complex of visual communications: talent, creative ability, manual skill, and technical knowledge. Aesthetics and economics, technology and psychology are intrinsically related to the process."
"Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated."
"Providing, meaning to a mass of unrelated needs, ideas, words and pictures - it is the designer's job to select and fit this material together and make it interesting."
"Everything is design. Everything!"
"The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring."
"Pictures, abstract symbols, materials, and colors are among the ingredients with which a designer or engineer works. To design is to discover relationships and to make arrangements and rearrangements among these ingredients."
"You will learn most things by looking, but reading gives understanding. Reading will make you free."
"Art is an idea that has found its perfect visual expression. And design is the vehicle by which this expression is made possible. Art is a noun, and design is a noun and also a verb. Art is a product and design is a process. Design is the foundation of all the arts."
"Any system that sees aesthetics as irrelevant, that separates the artist from his product, that fragments the work of the individual, or creates by committee, or makes mincemeat of the creative process will, in the long run, diminish not only the product but the maker as well."
"I never did calligraphy... But handwriting is an entirely different kind of thing. It's part of the syndrome of modernism... It's part of that asceticism."
"The artist is a collector of things imaginary or real. He accumulates things with the same enthusiasm that a little boy stuffs his pockets. The scrap heap and the museum are embraced with equal curiosity. He takes snapshots, makes notes and records impressions on tablecloths or newspapers, on backs of envelopes or matchbooks. Why one thing and not another is part of the mystery, but he is omnivorous."
"The reason I always insisted on signing my work was not to be subordinate to anyone."
"So that is the design process or the creative process. Start with a problem, forget the problem, the problem reveals itself or the solution reveals itself and then you reevaulate it. This is what you are doing all the time."
"Artistic tricks divert from the effect that an artist endeavors to produce, and even excellent elements such as bullets, arrows, brackets, ornate initials, are at best superficial ornamentation unless logically employed."
"Graphic design, which evokes the symmetria of Vituvius, the dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, the asymmetry of Mondrian; which is a good gestalt, generated by intuition or by computer, by invention or by a system of coordinates, is not good design if it does not communicate."
"If I was influenced by anything, it was architecture: structure having to do with logic. If you don't do it right, the whole thing is going to cave in. In a certain sense, you can carry that to graphic design. Fortunately, however, nobody is going to die if you do it wrong."