16 Paul Rand Quotes for You to Enjoy

Paul Rand

American Designer

Born: Aug 15, 1914

Died: Nov 26, 1996

Art Design Good Needs Simplicity You

Related authors: Carroll Shelby Charles Eames Edith Head Marc Jacobs Ralph Lauren Tom Ford Tommy Hilfiger Virgil Abloh

To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit: it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse. To design is to transform prose into poetry. Paul Rand

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. Paul Rand

Life Knowledge Technology Creative Economics Design Related Way Complex Visual Ability Point Point Of View Talent Involves Aesthetic Process Psychology Communications Skill View Manual Whole Technical Technical Knowledge

I haven't changed my mind about modernism from the first day I ever did it... It means integrity; it means honesty; it means the absence of sentimentality and the absence of nostalgia; it means simplicity; it means clarity. That's what modernism means to me. Paul Rand

Day Me Integrity Honesty Simplicity Mind First Changed Clarity About Absence Did Nostalgia Modernism Sentimentality Means Ever

Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations. Paul Rand

Good Simplicity Idea Goal Expectations Modest By-Product Good Idea

Ideas do not need to be esoteric to be original or exciting. Paul Rand

Be Original Exciting Ideas Esoteric Original Need

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. Paul Rand

You Architecture Sense Design Carry Logic Structure Having Wrong Nobody However Cave Die Going Influenced Anything Certain Fortunately Graphic Graphic Design Whole Right Thing

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. Paul Rand

Best Unless Tricks Logically Superficial Divert Excellent Employed Bullets Arrows Effect Endeavors Artist Artistic Produce Initial Even Elements

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. Paul Rand

Good Communicate Invention Design System Intuition Computer Does Dynamic Which Graphic Graphic Design Coordinate Symmetry

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. Paul Rand

Work Creative Creative Process Will Long Fragments Diminish System Run Only Sees Individual Long Run Well Maker Makes Aesthetic His Any Artist Committee Irrelevant Process Creates Product Separates

The reason I always insisted on signing my work was not to be subordinate to anyone. Paul Rand

Work Signing Insisted Always Subordinate Anyone Reason

I would say that an understanding of man's intrinsic needs, and of the necessity to search for a climate in which those needs could be realized, is fundamental to the education of the designer. Paul Rand

Education Needs Man Understanding Say Those Intrinsic Would Could Climate Which Realized Search Fundamental Designer Necessity

In the West, we look at art through life. Well, that's one way of living. In the Orient they look at life through art. They even drink their tea without sugar, for the same reason that they don't like a lot of frilly decorations on a painting. I can't stand butter on my bread for the same reason. I'm allergic to goo and rococo. Paul Rand

Life Art Allergic Tea Painting Living Sugar Way One-Way Drink Through Like Look Well Without West Lot Same Bread Stand Reason Orient Even Butter

A style is the consequence of recurrent habits, restraints, or rules invented or inherited, written or overheard, intuitive or preconceived. Paul Rand

Style Rules Intuitive Invented Habits Written Overheard Preconceived Inherited Consequence

Asymmetric balance creates greater reader interest. Pleasure derived from observing asymmetrical arrangements lies partly in overcoming resistances, which, consciously or not, the spectator adjusts in his own mind. Paul Rand

Balance Mind Own Pleasure Adjust Lies Observing Overcoming Partly Reader Greater Arrangements His Which Interest Creates Derived Spectator

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