Steve Jobs on Paul Rand
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"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."
Paul Rand, a luminary of 20th-century graphic design, was the mastermind behind the visual identities of IBM, UPS, ABC, AMEX, and many other major brands—significantly shaping the field.
If you need to familiarise yourself with his portfolio, check it out at
– it's an inspirational body of work.
In 1986, Rand was paid $100,000 by Steve Jobs to design the NeXT Computers logo. Jobs was given no concepts, no rounds of revision, and no options. A typical approach is to do three concepts and iterate down to one after a few rounds of back-and-forth.
Twas ever thus—we've all been there and done it.
Rand and Jobs struck a deal.
Rand would design the identity, Jobs would pay, and if Jobs didn't like it, he wouldn't have to use it.
This arrangement is a testament to Rand's confidence in his ability, serving as an inspiration to us all—whether you're a designer or not.
It's also an example of Job's well-known quote put into practice, "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."
The linked video from 1993 contains what Steve Jobs said about his relationship with Paul Rand.
Well worth a watch.
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