Paul Rand on Trendiness
In 1992, the legendary graphic designer Paul Rand resigned from Yale in protest of the university hiring a "postmodern feminist designer." He wrote an article explaining his decision called Confusion and Chaos: The Seduction of Contemporary Graphic Design.
One of my favorite parts is this bit about following trends:
"Trendiness is seductive, especially to the young and inexperienced, for the principal reason that it offers no restraints, is lots of ‘fun’, permits unlimited possibilities for ‘self-expression,’ and doesn’t require conforming to the dictates of reason or aesthetics."
PAUL RAND
Sometimes it's hard to resist the seduction of empty design. Stay on your toes.
You should almost certainly read the whole article here: http://www.paul-rand.com/index.php/site/thoughts_confusionChaos/
