Iconic graphic designer Paul Rand is a legend in the industry. At just 33 years old in 1947, he was the chief art director at ad agency William H. Weintraub and Co.—he also published the lauded Thoughts on Design that year.
For the first time since the 1970s, Chronicle Books would be republishing the illustrated volume this month—this latest edition would feature a foreword by renowned graphic designer and Pentagram partner Michael Bierut.
To mark the reprint of this very important design book, Fast Co. Design has asked Bierut to put together a selection of passages from Thoughts on Design that are still deeply relevant for designers today.
In one of the featured passages, Rand encapsulated his entire design philosophy in a 22-line poem-like block of text, stating that design only matters if it is relevant and communicates the necessary message—in Bierut’s words, “Those 22 lines give you a four-year design education in four inches worth of typesetting.”
Read about more of Rand’s design lessons that are still crucial here—do you find them to be applicable to your work?
The republished Thoughts on Design is available for purchase here.
[via Fast Co. Design, image via The Paul Rand Foundation]