In 1996, he was declared “the greatest living graphic designer” — it was yet another ‘feather in the cap’ for Paul Rand, and one of many during a long and colorful career that would make any present day designer envious. But more so when the acclamation comes from a visionary like Steve Jobs. In fact, it was Paul Rand’s dedication to treating design as a function of business that helped Steve Jobs’ Apple to become the design-leading powerhouse that it is today.
In 1986, Rand was hired to create a logo for Jobs, reportedly for a fee of $100,000. But long before that — back in the 1950s — he had already begun to pave the way for design systems, and the notion of corporate identity.
Many consider Rand to be the father of modern graphic design — the man who introduced the idea that commercial art could, and should, have both a strong visual appeal and an important functional role in the world of modern business.
In any case, his influence on design, starting in the 1930s, forever changed the world of modern business.
This is how he did it.
