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Massimo Vignelli Massimo Vignelli Alexander Fusté Studio I Fall 2014 Massimo Vignelli, born and raised in Italy, brought to America a new style of minimalist and grid based design. Massimo did so with his wife and business partner Lella Vignelli. He began designing professionally in 1950 and never stopped until he passed on May 23, 2014.1 He and his team created the faces of some of the most iconic and well known branding and designs in the world. Because their philosophy of design isn’t limited to just graphic design, they focused on many projects in many fields throughout their career. Because, to the Vignelli’s, “If you can’t find it, design it.”2 Massimo’s interest in Graphic Design began in Italy pre his marriage to Lella. It was here that he realized that he wanted to continue his life pursuing ‘good design’ in America with Lella. This idea of ‘good design’ was not simply limited to graphic design. Vignelli says in his book “Design is one” that “subjects change, materials change, processes change, but the creative and investigative mind proceeds relentlessly”.3 This process is applied to all created objects. After he arrived in America he cofounded Unimark and was the design director.4 This was a great starting point for Vignelli and gave him many opportunities. However, it was when he and Lella founded Vignelli Associates, did they really skyrocket to the design superstars they are today. 5 Massimo worked on a basic grid system throughout his the career. Why the grid? Because Massimo believed that good design is timeless and the grid will 1 AIGI. Web. 2014. http://www.aiga.org/medalist-massimoandlellavignelli/ 2 Hagopian, Ruth. A to Z Vignelli “Communication Arts” V. 49 (5) 2007. Pg 166 3 Abercrombie, Stanley. "Lella and Massimo Vignelli: Design is One." Interior Design 76, no. 1 (01, 2005): 244, http://search.proquest.com/docview/234958359?accountid=27975 (accessed September 24, 2014). 4 Vignelli Center. Web. 2014. http://vignellicenter.rit.edu/about-center/massimo-vignelli/ 5 Vignelli Center. Web. 2014. http://vignellicenter.rit.edu/about-center/massimo-vignelli/ inherently never change.6 Along with this strict grid system, Vignelli believes there are only a few well designed typefaces. In a documentary done about him in 2012, he stated that there “are only a few good typefaces… Garamond, Bodoni, and times roman…Akzidenze Groteque, Helvetica, Univers, Futura”.7 To Massimo, good design was not necessarily unique design. He limited himself on purpose in order to create a design versus decorate for a company. These fantastic and timeless designs came from that philosophy of working with a curated set or type and a rigid grid system. Vignelli brought over a new wave of design to America. One that impacted the entire field of design. Massimo was greatly influenced by Italian and Swiss design and this is why he primarily uses Helvetica in his design. He never did believe in simple decoration, which is so popular with designers (especially young designers). One of the movements they brought over was minimalism. Most other companies hired designers that did not work on a strict design system the way the Vignelli’s did. This is why the companies more often got decorations and less of designs from their designers. Because of this design over decoration philosophy, one of their greatest achievements 6 Design is one: Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Film. Directed by Guerra, Roberto, & Kathy, Brew.. 2012. 7 Design is one: Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Film. Directed by Guerra, Roberto, & Kathy, Brew.. 2012. in design over decoration was the New York City Subway map.8 This map has a permanent spot in the MoMA collection and less of a map and more a diagram, as Massimo describes it.9 Really, Massimo and Lella’s influence on the design community was synonymous with how people interacted with their environments. They worked on some of the worlds most recognizable companies like Ford, JCPenney, IBM, Bloomingdales and American Airlines.10 Like mentioned before, the Vignelli’s are associated with bringing over Helvetica to the United States. This quickly influenced the use of thoughtful typography in the work of designers and has become one of the most recognizable typefaces in the world.11 They also hated the idea of any design that was not functional. If it didn’t have a 8 “Communication Arts” Vignelli Transit Map V. 55 (2) 2013. Pg 166 9 Design is one: Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Film. Directed by Guerra, Roberto, & Kathy, Brew.. 2012. 10 Kastrenaka, Jacob. “The Verge”. Web. 2014. http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/27/5755158/ massimo-vignelli-nyc-subway-map-designer-dies-at-83 11 AIGI. Web. 2014. http://www.aiga.org/medalist-massimoandlellavignelli/ purpose, it was never created in the first place. This influenced not only graphic design, but architectural, furniture (ror example: Heller and Stiendig), jewelry and other design.12 They worked on other interiors with this same philosophy such as St. Peter’s church.13 Their design even resonates in the book publishing industry as they themselves have written books as well as designed them.14 When his designs are changed or done away with, like with American Airlines current rebranding, he states that “Design is much more profound. Styling is very much emotional. Good design isn’t—it’s good forever.”15 And there is a truth behind this. Logos such as Bloomingdales, Ford and every other major company Vignelli has designed logos and branding for have all had something others may not: staying power. They are immediately recognizable and understood and to add anything else would be superfluous. And Vignelli only did what must be done, nothing more and nothing less. Why? Because Massimo Vignelli was an “‘information architect”.16 12 Viladas, Pilar. Page Turner. “New York Times Magazine”, Fall, 2010. 102, http:// search.proquest.com/docview/756909586?accountid=27975 (accessed September 24, 2014). 13 Bonanos, Chrisopher “New York Magazine”. Web. 2014. http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/05/ massimo-vignelli-5-appreciations.html 14 Vignelli Associates. Web. 2014. http://www.vignelli.com/home.html 15 Mayo, Keenan. Q&A: Original American Airlines Designer Massimo Vignelli on the Redesigned Logo. Business Week, Jan 21, 2013. 1, http://search.proquest.com/docview/ 1284739336?accountid=27975 (accessed September 24, 2014). 16 Martin, Douglas. Web. 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/business/massimo-vignelli- a-modernist-graphic-designer-dies-at-83.html?_r=0 All images from AIGI AIGI. Web. 2014. http://www.aiga.org/medalist-massimoandlellavignelli/.
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