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This book is a case study in how not to do a 'revival'. A blemish on the art and discipline of Graphic Design.
QUALITY: The copy received is in mint condition, but note: - The paper stock is lightweight and cheap. - The images blurry and the imprint hazy. - The register lacking in definition. This is a shoddy product. Period.
Those familiar with Rand's three publications, published by Yale University Press: - Paul Rand: A Designer's Art - Design, Form and Chaos, - From Lascaux to Brooklyn. shall gape, at the divergences.
There is in analog publishing, such a standard, known as quality. One that Paul Rand would consider integral to his work. Without good reproduction, the message is distorted and lost. Something, that purveyors and designers in the digital realm, are increasingly unmindful of.
SIZE AND FORMAT: It shouldn't have been an onerous imposition on the publisher, to align the book's size with Paul Rand's three works.
The illustrations should have been updated for color and resolution. Almost all examples in Thoughts on Design, are available in color in the titles by Yale, and in Steven Heller's excellent compilation. (If the four works by Paul Rand aren't accessible, Mr. Heller's Rand anthology, is a worthy consolation, companion and reference. But it is not a substitute.)
A disc of animation and hi-resolution images of Rand's work, videos of his working methods and interviews, would have made the reworked edition of Thoughts on Design, a great fourth title. Instead, the publisher has merely delivered the equivalent of photocopied pages within covers.Read more ›
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If ever there lived an iconic designer/illustrator, it was the late Paul Rand (1914-1996). In this now 4-decades old treasure of a book, Rand exegetes, illustrates, and explains symbol and word. But is word not symbol in itself and is symbol not a kind of speech? In less than 100 pages you can read about beauty and utility, humor, typography, and imagination. In contrast to fine art, design has a function, typically as a solution for a problem or concern; graphic, photographic, and typographic design is most familiar to consumers as a modality for presenting a product, event or idea. We live amongst many varieties of architectural, industrial and "other" types of design, as well. This simply modest yet elegant paperback is packed full of actual illustrations of mostly advertising design solutions accompanied by the "how to" and "why to" involved. You know IBM, UPS, and Westinghouse? Paul Rand designed those logos and campaigns and in the half century since they first impacted the public, Rand's style and philosophy has influenced literally countless others. Thoughts on Design is a "don't miss it" if you can find it and afford it!
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Like most designers Paul Rand's work has, and always will be a consistent source of inspiration and as such I was thoroughly looking forward to reading this book to gain better insight into his thought process and ethos.
I read up to page 14 before putting this book to one side and considering the purchase a mistake.
My issue? It is all set in Bodoni Book. Whilst fine for titles and side notes, using it for body text makes for an unpleasant reading experience. Couple this with a poor choice of paper stocks and finish and you have a publication which within the context of the virtues it is looking to extoll, ironically fails to do itself justice.
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I'm glad Chronicle decided to re-release this long out-of-print book by Rand. The book jacket states that the book was reprinted to match the original copy...but I do think it could have been improved upon. Specifically, the black and white printing doesn't truly showcase Rand's design work and illustrations. His playful use of color comes across as muddy in black and white.
Rand's thoughts are short and succinct (I finished reading in under an hour). I could see many designers grabbing a copy of this just to have in their library. It's a shame it couldn't come in a nice linen hardcover to be a little more substantial.
The book itself feels cheap and flimsy. But overall, worth collecting if you're a fan of Paul Rand.
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This is a small book, less than a hundred pages, largely with graphics (naturally), and it starts off with fairly general pronouncements, but there’s some good stuff once it gets going, in particular some directives I haven’t seen before, like making use of repetition, and avoid choosing a font style correlated with the subject (e.g. the cliche of “chop suey” lettering). I wouldn’t say this is a must-have on your designer bookshelf, but, hey, it’s Paul Rand.
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Finally this important book is back in print! The ideas expressed by Rand are timeless. All designers, and especially design students, can gain a renewed focus on who we are as designers, our role in the culture, the importance of our task, and that it be done with integrity, skill and quality. It's a refreshingly clear essay, easy to read, illustrated with Rands own classic works of design.
The comment here about the book being poorly produced is not true, as far as my copy of the book. That person probably just got a bad print.
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