Paul Rand (1914-1996)
Born in America, Rand was strongly influenced by the work of European Modernism such as Constructivism and De Stijl. He developed a personal style based on European values that was fused with quirky American language and a lot of typography. Unlike other designers of his time, Rand scrapped ornamentation and embraced sharp forms and clean lines. He became extremely well known for his beautifully simplistic corporate logo designs, many of which are still used today, such as IBM, ABC and Westinghouse. Rand was also interested in designing advertisement and book covers. He planned his compositions to draw the viewer in, using simplicity, expression and abstract complexity. To do this, Rand broke away from the ‘conventional’ standards of typography and began to use the International Typographic Style or ‘Swiss Style’, developed in the early 1950’s and based upon one of the orginial sans serif typefaces, Akzidenz-Grotesk, which was released in 1896. This style emphasised cleanliness, readability and objectivity. Rand brought life to the typography by combining it with variations in scale, a controlled use of colour and intriguing shapes and forms. He is considered to be one of the heavy-weights of the graphic design world and a pioneer of the modern graphic design profession, inspiring many of the graphic designers who came both during and after his influential career.
Born in America, Rand was strongly influenced by the work of European Modernism such as Constructivism and De Stijl. He developed a personal style based on European values that was fused with quirky American language and a lot of typography. Unlike other designers of his time, Rand scrapped ornamentation and embraced sharp forms and clean lines. He became extremely well known for his beautifully simplistic corporate logo designs, many of which are still used today, such as IBM, ABC and Westinghouse. Rand was also interested in designing advertisement and book covers. He planned his compositions to draw the viewer in, using simplicity, expression and abstract complexity. To do this, Rand broke away from the ‘conventional’ standards of typography and began to use the International Typographic Style or ‘Swiss Style’, developed in the early 1950’s and based upon one of the orginial sans serif typefaces, Akzidenz-Grotesk, which was released in 1896. This style emphasised cleanliness, readability and objectivity. Rand brought life to the typography by combining it with variations in scale, a controlled use of colour and intriguing shapes and forms. He is considered to be one of the heavy-weights of the graphic design world and a pioneer of the modern graphic design profession, inspiring many of the graphic designers who came both during and after his influential career.
Stefan
Sagmeister (1962 - Still truckin')
Sagmeister is a prolific contemporary graphic designer and typographer. Based in New York City and from an Austrian background, Sagmeister is well known for his print work which includes: CD covers, book covers, editorials, posters and large-scale installations. He is also extremely well known for his edgy and original compositions, many of which have the ability to shock and awe an audience. Sagmeister has worked heavily with typography. Instead of conforming to the norm and using conventional typefaces like other graphic designers, he regularly implements his own handwritten scrawl, creating a quirky blend of typography with careful image and illustration selection. Unlike Rand, Sagmeister uses his typographic design to express a piece of his personality and a personal viewpoint, as opposed to remaining objective such as was found in the Modernist movement that Rand embraced. Sagmeister has also embraced creativity and constantly tries to come up with new ways of expressing ideas. He has used the human body, food, objects and various methods such as installations and videos to portray his typographic ideas. Here is a video you should all check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8PkFSLuYOk :)
Sagmeister is a prolific contemporary graphic designer and typographer. Based in New York City and from an Austrian background, Sagmeister is well known for his print work which includes: CD covers, book covers, editorials, posters and large-scale installations. He is also extremely well known for his edgy and original compositions, many of which have the ability to shock and awe an audience. Sagmeister has worked heavily with typography. Instead of conforming to the norm and using conventional typefaces like other graphic designers, he regularly implements his own handwritten scrawl, creating a quirky blend of typography with careful image and illustration selection. Unlike Rand, Sagmeister uses his typographic design to express a piece of his personality and a personal viewpoint, as opposed to remaining objective such as was found in the Modernist movement that Rand embraced. Sagmeister has also embraced creativity and constantly tries to come up with new ways of expressing ideas. He has used the human body, food, objects and various methods such as installations and videos to portray his typographic ideas. Here is a video you should all check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8PkFSLuYOk :)
References:
Heller, S (1999). Paul Rand, London: Phaidon Press.
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