When Jobs, asked Rand if he could come up with a few options, Rand replied, "No, I will solve your problem for you and you will pay me. You don't have to use the solution. If you want other options go talk to other people." Paul Rand earned that hubris of course because he had solved IBM's problem, UPS's problem and Westinghouse's problem. Just to name a few.
Rand believed that he could bring the right design and identity to the new startup. His years of design and volume of formidable experience were undeniable. Despite the fact that NeXT never became as big as Jobs had envisioned, I don't believe the logo was to blame. Rand crafted an identity that was instantly recognizable and had all the qualities of a good design; It scaled well, it was unique and proprietary. Was it an exceptional design? I cannot say it was - but it had all the characteristics of a lasting identity and served its purpose. Steve Jobs never asked for another option. He accepted it and used it till the end. You see, Jobs was smart enough to delegate to the best and let them do their job.
The NeXT logo designed by Paul Rand for Steve Jobs in 1986.
Every time I meet with a potential new client I always role play the Jobs / Rand interview scenario in my head. Let me be clear, I am not purporting to be Rand or Jobs, but I feel I have something to say when it comes to branding and corporate identity. (Logos and so forth.)
I always channel Mr. Rand trying to convince the client that once I finish my brand audit and my interview process, I will be able to provide them with the most ideal solution for their branding issues. I will carefully consider everything I have seen, digest all the information given to me, filter it and come up with a solution that is appropriate. Much like a doctor who recognizes the symptoms in a patient, and comes up with the right medication, any branding designer worth their salt, will apply their knowledge, expertise and "designer" eye and give their client expert advice and guidance.
Recently I had met with a potential client for naming and branding of their new product. During our initial meeting, they showed me around their operations and various products and highlighted a marketing brochure they had their in-house designer do. It looked like something I had seen a thousand times before; poor selection of fonts paired with some generic stock photography. Like fast food, it was done fast and cheap. The potential client also mentioned that they were very picky and that it took them numerous iterations to get to that final design. At that very point, I knew I was not the right designer for them. I knew that our design aesthetic and approach were so incongruent that the process would be painful for both me and them. But it does not have to be that way.
You see when you interview a designer you should look at their past work and see if you like it and then decide if you want to work with them. Don't blindly call them up because they were referred to you by someone else. The one thing that drives me crazy, is when I show up at a meeting and the client had never seen any of my previous work.
If you are going to interview people, look at their website, look at their past work and do your due diligence. That always makes the branding exercise easier. Steve Jobs researched Rand and liked what he had to say. Listen to your designer. A designer brings immense value to your company. Ask them questions. They (usually) know what they are talking about. Just don't ask them anything about physics or chemistry.
Below is an interview Steve Jobs gave in 1993 on working with Paul Rand.
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