Paul Rand was a pioneering American graphic designer known for his modernist and minimalist style. He created iconic logos for many major corporations including IBM, UPS, and ABC. His logos were simple, easy to recognize, and conveyed the essence of the company. Rand believed that an effective logo or brand identity was more important than individual advertisements. Some of his most famous works included simplifying the Westinghouse logo to a circle containing a W symbol, designing the UPS logo as a shield containing a stylized package, and creating the still widely-used ABC logo out of a simple black circle containing the lowercase letters "abc". Rand's logos emphasized clarity, simplicity, and visual impact through the use of negative space, geometric

1. Paul Rand
Covers
Advertisments
Brands

2. P
aul Rand, born in 1914, was raised ads. Rand brought ideas and intelligence to
in a strict Orthodox Jewish home in advertising, but kept in mind that whatever
Brooklyn, New York. Orthodox Jewish he was doing, should communicate. For
law forbids the creation of images that can be every product he defined the problem and
worshiped as idols, but already at a young age, costumized a solution. His advertising was
Rand copied pictures of the models shown conceptually sharp and visually smart. Every
on advertising displays in his father’s grocery detail was meant to attract the eye. He often
store, and violated the rules. Rand is known for divided designs into two components; a large
being a self-taught-designer, father warmed mass that drew the attention and a smaller
him that art was no way to live. Spending time mass that needed closer attention.
in bookshops, he discovered ‘Commercial Art’ “Ideas do not
Rand started doing a thing that was quite
and ‘Gebrauchsgrafik’, two leading european need to be
unusual at that time. He always signed his
graphic arts magazines which introduced esoteric to be
work as a way to publicize himself, even though
him to Bauhaus-ideas. So wasn-t the school, original or
Rand’s work could easily be identified without
but his desire to make Rand one of the most exciting.”
his signature. Signing ads was common in
important designer.
Europe, but very rare in America. Rand’s ads
In 1936 Rand was hired as a freelance doing “The real often contained sketchy drawing with visual
covers for magazines. Although his methods difference puns, which at that time was unique and
were unconventional, for they relied on the between alluring. In his ads, as well as in his book
intelligence of the viewer, it was never too modernism cover design he combined shapes, colours
extreme. He gained the trust of his editors and and objects. Rand loved the use of found
and they gave him a long leash. Rand earned traditional objects, cut papers and minimal typography.
a full-time job and an offer to become art- design lies He used only the most functional serif and
director for the Esquire magazine and in the in the way sans-serif typefaces, combined with his own
same time he can make other covers mainly for an image is handwriting. Using his own handwriting was
“Direction”, where is visible his homage to the placed on not only economical, but also contributed to
bauhaus ideas. Three years at Esquire was just a sheet of the ‘friendliness’. Rand, more than others in
about enough for Rand, so when Weintraub paper.” advertising business, believed a brand identity
asked him to join him as chief art-director was more important than a billboard. Infact
at his new agency, he accepted the job. In his his best works are corporate identity. And his
advertising work Rand frequently used futura period was perfect to do it.
instead of the more common calligraphic
fonts. His advertising was simpler looking
and in turn more eye-catching that the typical

3. Paul Rand, having been art director Though covers and ads are an important part
of some magazines, made also covers of his work, is Corporate design that became
and advertisments, as employee and as the key aspect of his career. Rand said that “A
freelance . In his career as a freelance logo is more important in a certain sense than
he composed many magazine covers for a painting because a zillion people see the logo
Direction (40s) in wich Rand produced and it affects what they do, it affects their taste,
for no fee in exchange for full artistic it affects the appearance of where they live, it
freedom. In These covers he made ​​ a affects everything.”
lot of collages using photos placed
The project who make really famous
on top of colored shapes that make
Rand in Corporate Identy design is
lighted covers. In these collage photos
that for Westinghouse Electric, one
are broken, turn and placed in the
of the most powerful corporations in
background. Combines very logo with
the United States for elettric products.
written manuals, its main characteristic.
The basis of their success was originally
An other cover, this time for a book, is Direction
the sale of energy. The Westinghouse
that for “American Son” in which Rand march 1939
logo as Rand redesigned it in 1960 is
looked for simplicity in shapes, in colors, cover
a great simplification and updating of
in text. He created a user-friendly design,
the previous logo, which if you look
impactant. Play with the color overlap,
at historical advertising is somewhat
creating additional shapes and objects.
similar. Simplicity and immediacy are the
The text was handwrote by Rand same,
basis of Rand’s design.
inherently the contents of the book: a
novel about friendship. Logo is a W in a circle. A the top of
the W there are three circle, in this way
As advertisment we can take as it is not only a letters but also in a simbol
example the one made for Dubonet in American Son
1954 representing the energy currents. So changing
1948. Between overlapping planes and
book cover a type Rand can represent both the first letter
simple forms the poster is composed of
Alfred A. Knop of Westinghous and its products.It’s absolutely
a hand drawing of a natural landscape.
brilliant in it’s simplicity and execution. As
In the upper part the text follows
typeface is used the Westinghouse Gothic
the background shape, instead in the
Book, a quite condensed sans-serif .
bottom there are two columns of text,
quite separate from the top, infact the Dubonnet The kerning and letter-spacing is negative
attention is taken by the draw and the 1948 advertisement to make the letters closest. It’s particular the
bottles foreground. ligature between S and T that is a unique

4. remained the same for 42 years, still 2003.
Another logo made in 1961 is that for
ABC. The American Broadcasting Company
is a leading American television network. So
Paul Rand designed a new logo
which was introduced in the fall
of 1962, This is the current logo,
now used for 50 years.
feature of the Westinghouse logotype.and Westinghouse
connecting two letters the result is more brand This logo is one of the most
unified, moreover this contact is another link 1960 iconic and memorable logo
to elettric energy. designs ever created. The message
is clear and beaty, moreover it
In 1961 Paul Rand was called by UPS to
conveys to the wide and diverse
remake the corporate identity thanks to his
audience of the network. The
earlier great works. UPS is a package delivery
logo consisted of a simple black
company. His challenge, in this case, was to
circle with the lowercase letters
transform the out-of-date shield into
“abc”. The use of negative space,
a modern image. The old one was
and simplicity, combined in a
like Roman coats, old style. So he
circle, provided a clear and consistent message
streamlined the contours, used a lower
American to the audience. The curves of the circle era
case letter and placed a simple drawing
Broadcasting stressed by the rounded type. This is a project
of a package on the top of the shield.
Corporation clearly influeced by Bauhaus; for this logo,
He made the more simplified version of
(ABC) intended for media, is used the Bauhaus font
UPS logo. The bow-tied package above
1962 family, with simple lines, using white on black.
the familiar shield express the mission
the result is elegant and really recognizable.
of the company: secure package delivery.
The lines and overall shape create a The best known Rand’s project is IBM
composition that’s well-balanced and logo, infact, this company is one of the most
well proportioned. Another aspects is important in informatic area and while
the color; he used only the brown, color entering the electronic era, there was some
that is the trademark of the company, without United Parcel questioning about the image this company
other shades, like in the other versions of the Service (UPS) presented to the public. Rand decided to clean
logo, so he made a good job balancing white logo the old logo (a globe atop a simple line of tipe)
spaces and the brown one. His UPM logo 1961 using as brand only the three letters IBM. The

5. result was solid and balanced, this thanks to letter that remains the same is the striped M,
the position of the letters and the choose of as a link to original logo, his structure and
type: the City Medium. color. The background color (black) help to
make all much more unitary and the drawn
In 1972, the logo was improved. The solid
elements are stylized, easy to understand so to
letters were replaced by horizontal stripes,
stimulate mind and curiosity of people reading
suggesting speed and dynamism. The IBM
it. Although Rand’s logos may be interpreted
logo so looks like it was made by machine,
as simplistic, he was quick to point out that.
instead of by hand and moreover it’s like the
thin parallel lines to protect the signature
againt counterfeiting. In this way logo is an International International
image of expertise, innovation, service and Business Business
trust, thereby reinforcing the strength of IBM Machines (IBM) Machines (IBM)
in the industry. If observed closely, the striped logo advertisment,
logo generates a message of “Equality” with its 1972 1972
color, the lower right parallel lines, highlights
in the shape of an “equals” sign.
Rand designed also packaging and
marcketing materials for IBM among which
there’s the “Eye-Bee-poster”. It is a easy rebus
to discover the name of the industry. In place
of the letter I there is a drawn eye that has a
similar pronunciation. In place of the B there
is a bee, for the same reason of I. The only

6. Bibliography
Sergio Polano, Pierpaolo Vetta, «Abecedario. La grafica
del 900», Mondadori, 2002.
Baroni Daniele, Vitta Maurizio, «Storia del design grafico»,
Longanesi, 2003.
Sitography
http://www.iconofgraphics.com
http://www.iconofgraphics.com
http://stocklogos.com
http://www.westinghouse.com
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.google.com