Balance, uniformity and equilibrium of spacing were the three common elements of Paul Rand’s typography related work. With his understanding of both visual content (image/illustration) and technical content (typography/typeface), he produced designs which have lasted decades.
In the 1940s, Paul Rand broke away from the conventional standards of typography and layout, and started incorporating Swiss style of design into his creations. He merged American visual culture into European avant-garde (modern art) design, integrating Cubism, Constructivism, the Bauhaus and De Stijl into his work.
Simplicity was a common element of everything Rand created, whether it was a page design, a magazine cover, an ad, or a logo. He was of the opinion that the design of a logo must be simple, in order to appeal aesthetically.
Rand was very successful at merging modern typography with nineteenth-century engravings. He sought to unite letters and found unique graphic ways of bringing together the letters of a word be it a name or title of a person or entity. This is seen in his logos for IBM, EF and Yale University Press
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Poster for the New York Subways Advertising Company, designed by Paul Rand in 1947.
Poster incorperating Rands Westinghouse Logo design
Quote by Paul Rand on typography:
“There are essentially two kinds of typography: The familiar kind for reading, and the other, simply for viewing, like a painting. Some say that readability is most important. There are really two important things about typography: readability and beauty; both are equally important. However, many readable typefaces are visually offensive. The design of a typeface, ugly or not, is only one aspect of the problem of readability. How a typeface is used is equally, if not more, important.”
below ia an image of pages from one of Rands childrens books 'Listen' . I think this is an example of his use of type for both 'readabilty and beauty'
Definition of Swiss Style design:
The International Typographic Style, also known as the Swiss Style, is a graphic design style developed in Switzerland in the 1950s that emphasizes cleanliness, readability and objectivity. Hallmarks of the style are asymmetric layouts, use of a grid, sans-serif typefaces like Akzidenz Grotesk, and flush left, ragged right text. The style is also associated with a preference for photography in place of illustrations or drawings. Many of the early International Typographic Style works featured typography as a primary design element in addition to its use in text, and it is for this that the style is named.
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