Massimo Vignelli: His Story Mto V By: Grace Lee M assimo Vignelli, the Italian-born designer was and is one of the most influential artists from the 20th century. Whether one is aware of his name or not, it is likely that one has seen his work at least once in their lifetime. The most recognizable Massimo artwork may be the re- designed NYC Subway map and signages that millions of commuters bypass everyday as they transit to and from “ work; the American Airlines logo with its patriotic red and If you can design one thing, blue “AA” letters; the Bloomingdales logotype printed on every Bloomingdale’s shopping bag; or the iconic colorful Knoll Textiles’ poster. Aside from graphic design, Vignelli you can design everything.” also specialized in package design, houseware design, and furniture design which is evident through his popular Heller Dinnerware sets and Stendig Calendar. All of his pieces, whether a logo or piece of furniture, are distinguishable —Massimo Vignelli from others’ as they share the simplistic elegance of his craft. While his works speak for themselves, it is important to understand who Vignelli was and how he came to be one of the most well-respected artists’ of all time. THE WHO. VIGNELLI and Ignazio Gardella aided in Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, his future success awaiting in the London, Copenhagen, and United States. Melbourne. With Vignelli Lella & Massimo positioned as the Design Director In 1957, Vignelli married Elena and Senior VicePresident, “Lella” Vale - who soon became Unimark became one of the his prominent business partner world’s leading design firms, - and within the same year of producing design masterpieces their marriage, they moved to for corporations including Ford, Newburyport, Massachusetts. It Knoll, and American Airlines as was there that Vignelli completed mentioned previously. The work a fellowship with a silverware Vignelli completed at Unimark manufacturing company and changed the game of graphic began to teach graphic design design forever and his role in at the Institute of Design (New the success of the Helvetica Bauhaus) in Chicago. typeface remains to be one of his However, with Vignelli’s visa greatest contributions. Six years expiring in 1960, the couple later, Vignelli left Unimark and had to move back to Milan announced the establishment of where they opened up their own Vignelli Associates with his wife, furniture, product, and graphic Lella. Their belief that design design firm called the Lella as a discipline can be applied to & Massimo Vignelli Office of any subject drove their business Design and Architecture. Their strategy and enabled them to clients ranged from esteemed complete numerous projects Italian and European companies for diverse companies and such as Olivetti, Penguin organizations. MASSI Books, Piccolo Teatro, Pirelli, Poltronova, Triennale, the Venice Biennale, and Xerox; through these partnerships, the Vignelli’s Massimo Vignelli was born on established their graphic language January 10, 1931in Milan which is and began to receive recognition where he grew up and cultivated for their work. Vignelli’s Compact his love for design. Studying stacking dinnerware was awarded at the Accademia di Belle Arti a Compasso d’Oro in 1964 which di Brera art school; graduating is the most prestigious design from the Politecnico di Milano award in Italy. with a degree in Architecture; and attending the School of In 1965, Vignelli and five other Architecture and University of partners, including his colleague Venice helped Vignelli further Bob Noorda created Unimark develop his skills and expertise International. Headquartered in the arts. In addition, his in Chicago, Illinois, Unimark internships with various Italian was the first design consultancy architects and designers such that operated on a global scale as Achille and Pier Giacomo, with offices all over the world Castiglioni, Giulio Minoletti, such as Chicago, New York City, & Giancarlo De Carlo, Franco Albini, Milan, Detroit, Johannesburg, THE The 1972 NYC Subway If you visited any major U.S. Once described as, “the In 1967, Massimo had the System and Map was designed city after 1973, you’d see a most exciting, [and] opportunity of redesigning by Vignelli and his colleague, ubiquitous yet somewhat rewarding” assignment of the American Airlines logo Bob Noorda. They were first anonymous brown paper his career, the Knoll graphics previously created by one of 1commissioned by the New 2bag clutched by the hands 3program Vignelli created AA’s4 managers, Goodrich York City Transit Authority to of shoppers everywhere. for the manufacturing and Murphy. Vignelli’s version create a standardized signage The “Big Brown Bag” furniture design company originally only included two for the city’s metro system to was originally designed by provided the foundation for simple A’s in the Helvetica WORKS. help locals and visitors identify Vignelli (who also designed all its basic communication typeface (one in red and and navigate the subway. It the Bloomingdale’s logo) needs. His designs for Knoll blue) but due to the airline’s was only after they completed to transport bulky sheets included stationary, business insistence, he later added the MTA “Graphics Standards and pillows from the store’s cards, stickers, tags, boxes, the iconic eagle. In addition Manual” with its sans-serif linen department, but soon brochures, and four-color to his creation of multiple typeface and color coded customers were requesting ads for trade magazines AA Timelines and the AA circles that they moved on to them to carry purchases of and publications such as Annual Report, the logo was rethinking the subway system any size. Rumor has it Vigelli The New Yorker, Vogue, in use for 45 years. and map. created the logo minutes after and Fortune. Of those, the the client meeting, but held four panel Knoll au Louvre They spent long hours off from showing it for several poster featuring Massimo’s observing the subway system weeks in order to justify the signature Knoll logo and the and its users to determine the fee of his work. overlapping blue, yellow, and best solution. Although the pink Knoll brand poster are public’s reaction to the 1972 Its understated glamour stand-out pieces. map was underwhelming, the became embraced as a status most common critique being symbol, a way to show that Vignelli’s efforts gave Knoll that it did not properly reflect you’d been on a Bloomie’s an international graphic the city’s layout, the map is shopping spree—it’s even identity which became the highly praised and respected used as the “shopping cart” industry standard and is still among designers worldwide. In icon on the store’s website. being used to inform the fact, in 2004, MoMa acquired Today, you can buy all sizes company’s public identity to the original c. 1972 diagram as reusable versions in vinyl. this day. and 1970 graphics standards manual to display for millions to see. Massimo and Noorda’s project inspired other cities to design their subway systems similarly to that of NYC’s. https://imjustcreative. https://99designs.com/ http://www.designculture. com/dc-metro-subway- blog/famous-design/ https://www.ceros.com/ it/interview/massimo- map-designs-massimo- remembering-massimo- originals/massimo-vignelli- vignelli.html vignelli/2018/06/18 vignelli-modernist-master/ nyc-subway/ References https://www.famousgraphicdesigners.org/massimo-vignelli https://designobserver.com/feature/mr-vignellis-map/2647 https://sites.northwestern.edu/transportationdesign/american-airlines/ https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/how-new-yorks-subway-signs-came-to-be https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2014/06/23/the-subway-and-the-city-massimo-vignelli-1931-2014/ https://www.thecut. https://gizmodo.com/ com/2014/05/massimo- rip-massimo-vignelli- vignelli-5-appreciations. the-iconic-designs-that- html shaped-a-1582079280 08.