"Copy, art, and typography should be seen as a living entity; each element integrally related, in harmony with the whole, and essential to the execution of an idea."
Paul
Rand
Biography
Paul Rand (1914–1996) was an American graphic designer and art director who shaped modern corporate identity. He created enduring logos for IBM, ABC, UPS, Westinghouse, and NeXT, led ad campaigns, and taught at Yale. Through books like Thoughts on Design, he championed clarity, wit, and the unity of form and idea.
Assignment
Design 3 different posters, all using the title and first paragraph from Rand's essay "The Beautiful & The Useful" combined with an image of authentic 19th century Shaker design
Initial Concepts
A Designer’s Art (1985) gathers Rand’s essays on the principles and practice of graphic design. Mixing case studies with theory, he argues that form and content are inseparable, explores symbolism, typography, and visual wit, and shows how play, intuition, and rigor shape memorable, useful identities. The book remains a lucid guide for designers and clients.
Shakers Objects
Finding the object's designs that fit the typographic style
Some Drafts
Playing with bacgrounds
Final Designs
Print Poster A1
Created by Carlos Naranjo
July 2025
Poster Mockup
The Beautiful & The Useful
2025
“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.”
- Paul Rand
Credits:
Armin Hofmann - Posters Section:
Left: NeXT poster, Paul Rand, 1986
Center: AIGA : Journal of the American Institute of Graphic Art, Paul Rand, 1968
Right: Direction: Volume 2, Number 2: March, Paul Rand, 1939
Paul Rand - Bio Section:
Shakers Images:
The Beautiful & The Useful Poster:
Author: Carlos Naranjo, 2025
Copy About Hofmann: GPT 5.0
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