How powerful is a logo that is still up-to-date after 56 years, without any modification to font or shape? The American art director and graphic designer Paul Rand, among others, designed a logo for IBM without an expiry date. The power is unmistakably in its simplicity. The American modernist, strongly influenced by European trends, was pronounced when it came to logos and corporate identities. ‘A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolises, not the other way around. A logo does not sell (directly), it identifies. Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations.’