
Thoughts on Paul Rand - dirtyaura
http://acg.media.mit.edu/acg/events/rand/ideamag.html
======
drostie
One great story about Paul Rand:

    
    
        "He is one of the most professional people I've ever worked with, in
        the sense that he thought through all of the formal relationship 
        between a client and a professional such as himself -- obviously very 
        deep thoughts about this -- and therefore he had very clear conclusions 
        about what the relationship meant to both parties and how it should be 
        conducted. For example: I asked him if he would come up with 'a few
        options'. And he said 'No, I will solve your problem for you. And you 
        will pay me. And you don't have to use the solution -- if you want 
        options go talk to other people! -- but I'll solve your problem for you
        the best way I know how, and you use it or not, that's up to you, you're 
        the client -- but you pay me.' And there was a clarity about the
        relationship that was refreshing."
          -- Steve Jobs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb8idEf-Iak
    

I really enjoyed his uncompromising attitude, "I'm not going to attempt to
solve the problem 4 times for you; you can consult 4 people who wholeheartedly
attempt to solve the problem once." The idea that art is not something to be
half-assed but something to be pursued, as the Tibetans might say, "one-
pointedly", is a deep lesson which I myself resonate very strongly with.

~~~
chimi
There can be problems with this approach, specifically, "The best way I know
how" may not be the best way for the client. There are pros and cons with
nearly every potential solution and it can be beneficial to discuss the pros
and cons of more than one solution with the client before proceeding. It's
arrogant to assume the best way you know how is the best way for the client.

For example, if you only know Ruby and the client is a PHP shop and you
implement a solution for them in Ruby anyway, that could cause more problems
than it is worth in the long run.

~~~
matthewgifford
"It's arrogant to assume the best way you know how is the best way for the
client."

That's not what he's saying. He's saying that he's going to try as hard as he
can to come up with what he thinks is the best solution to the problem. It may
not be the best, but it's the best he can come up with. It's better than
someone who comes up with five options, then leaves it up to the client to
make the wrong decision.

I just don't understand the aversion to expertise that's so common these days.
Have some fucking pride in what you do well. And trust that other people know
their shit, too.

~~~
Jare
It's not about pride in your work, it's about the reality of your client.
Options normally intend to cover aspects and requirements of the work that the
client didn't even think of. Options can allow you to create a solution better
than the local maxima that you would find within the confines of your client's
understanding of his needs.

~~~
matthewgifford
I'm not arguing that providing options (done the right way) is a bad way to do
it. I'm just disagreeing with someone who says the Paul Rand way of doing
things is arrogant. Some people are extremely good at what they do. They have
have tons of experience. They do extensive research. And in the end they're
able to produce a single solution that endures for decades.

This should be celebrated.

------
SteveJS
Discovering someone who is clearly a giant, in a field about which I am
ignorant, is my favorite thing about Hacker News.

I anticipate good reading ahead: <http://www.paul-
rand.com/foundation/thoughts/#articles>

~~~
cschmidt
You're in for a treat. Paul Rand's books like "Design, Form, and Chaos" are
great.

Also, the book "Paul Rand" by Stephen Heller is well worth reading.

www.amazon.com/Paul-Rand-Steven-Heller/dp/0714839949

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cschmidt
A wonderful man. I followed everything he wrote for many years. To this day, I
do a double take when I see Congressman Rand Paul in the press, and then feel
disappointed.

~~~
AVTizzle
I actually just did the reverse, clicking on the link wondering what political
context this was going to be in. Relieved to realize my mistake.

------
10dpd
"At the time I was building a reputation for myself as being a gifted
graphical user interface designer."

What products has John Maeda designed that we can use or have used in the
past?

Writing books is great, but its the practical application that really builds
reputations.

~~~
tptacek
Exactly what is the point of this comment?

~~~
10dpd
The point is to find out which products John Maeda has worked on?

~~~
matthewgifford
Some of it is here: <http://www.maedastudio.com/>

People sometimes look at his work and think it's very simplistic and/or retro.
Part of the art is the process it took to get there.

------
michaelpinto
Steve Jobs on Paul Rand <http://youtu.be/xb8idEf-Iak>

------
sktrdie
Is it just me or is everything he says _very_ abstract? Sure he's good at his
craft, but all the things about everything being subjective, and design having
many meanings, and that anything can be artistic... it just seems like he has
very generic sort of explanations for everything.

I guess to be a good designer you have to have this attitude, but in today's
business, the sort of attitude where you're like "I'll show you a single logo,
and you won't have other options" won't cut it.

Design is subjective and it will always be, so not giving your client many
options is just plain stupid and will make you poor before you know it.

------
nottombrown
Both Maeda and Rand are legends. Ironic that poor design of the ACG site
clashed so much with the content of the article.

Notes to self:

    
    
        In QA format, place the answers close to the questions they correspond to.
    
        Be consistent in placing initials before dialog.

------
raintrees
Thanks, it's nice to have something positive to start the day.

------
naturalethic
The only effect I've seen from the word "talent" is to convince some people
they'll never be good at anything. I really hate that word and the pretensious
jerks who use it.

~~~
dasil003
On the other hand, people who never say anything that pisses someone off
probably don't accomplish much of interest.

