don moyer- westinghouse
dmoyer@thoughtformdesign.com
pittsburgh

john hill- cummins
jthill84@sbcglobal.net
shadow source for just about anything
miller family runs cummins

tom strong
new haven
203-676-0051

film made- "arts in the university"- yale featured, '60s
rands classes were filmed in documentary
sending from chris

his problem statements from classes
some but not all of his problems
moyer or strong or yale students might also have saved them

classes were weekly
give assignment for the next one
very specific conditions or limitations
size, color, typography, copy
class would be print class, put stuff on wall
he would talk about them
about the formal choices the person had made about the problem/statement
"lore" is that hardly any class went by without someone crying
very tough in class, outside was sweet, charming, caring, exact opposite of his persona
classes were 1 hour +
chris got there in '63
gave "industry oriented" problems, typical of what he was working on
problems got more theoretical and idea based
from gum pack or detergent to a booklet that contain/exemplify an essay by klee, corbusier, etc
no commercial purpose, but fine points of type and interpreting images/ideas
gave 3d projects- packaging, but also games: parcheesi. create a board game
also assigned clocks
did projects with alvin eisenman- study of legibility. problem was to create a sign "stop in england".
light/dark, faces, sizes, caps/lc, all about legibility
created booklet, functioning of linotype machine
chris graduated in '66
eisenman would always get the latest gadgets, every imaginable linotronic and devices used for headline setting, etc
rand would stomp off and resign
prickly character
eisenman would have to keep on top of him
confusing about rand- thing that was wrong last week and fixed is now wrong again the next week
one very important thing was his infatuation with grids
became very friendly with brockman
became an acolyte at the 'feet of the master'
he became a believer and user of these systems
became more and more focused on typography
projects became more complicated and expansive
did not fully "convert" or drink the cool aid of swiss design
ibm annual reports were quirky 

branding
your brand is what people say it is
persona of a company is what rand was interested
"branding" wasn't in flower
he was part of a process that has ended up being called "branding"
he became part of noyes' understanding the way a typewriter came across was just as important as their computers were. or someone's experience going to a gas station was as impotent as the gas cost
the idea of everything the company did as the highest value and reflection of the product


very private
never wanted to be a big operation
people knew very little about his life
looking at his house- he applied his work principles to his home