Paul Rand Video

(1) Who is Paul Rand?

Though I've never heard of Paul Rand, I can ascertain from the video that he is the designer responsible for the creation of many familiar corporate logos, as well as an illustrator who works with paper cutouts.

2) What transitions can you identify in the video?

There were several clever zoom transitions that were especially effective, as well as quite a few pans. The overall speed and liveliness of all the transitions creates a seamlessness in which you might not even notice them, which I think is interesting. It almost seems like the video is 99% transitions, because they happen so fast and are so thoroughly intertwined.

3) What are your reactions to Rand's statements on design?

I don't agree with this "quality > originality" business, and I find it absurd that Rand, who presumably had to employ a great deal of originality to become successful, would say something like "don't try to be original, just try to be good". It goes without saying that quality is highly important, but I think it's fairly typical of old-timers like Rand to make grand statements that sound legit, but are ultimately horrible advice for young artists, who must strive for originality in order to make a place for themselves among esteemed dinosaurs such as Rand.

I do however appreciate his statements about how everything, from graphic design to painting, is art, and that graphic design is a sort of non-category; "If you see it, it's graphic."