August 17, 2012
“If you can design one thing, you can design everything.”
That quote above pretty much sums up one of the true icons of design, Massimo Vignelli. As you can see most of his work is heavily defined within the Modernist tradition. He focuses on simplicity through the use of basic geometric shapes and forms.
Vignelli was born in Milano, Italy on January 10, 1931 and studied at Academia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) in Milan and then at the School of the University of Venice. In 1957, he came to New York on a fellowship and then traveled to Chicago where he taught at the Institute of Design of Illinois Institute of Technology for 3 years. He also taught at the Umanitaria School of Graphic Design in Milan and at the Institute of Industrial Design in Venice.
In 1966, he traveled back to New York where he cofounded Unimark International and worked with high profile clients such as American Airlines, the Ford Motor Company, Gillette, JC Penney, Knoll, and the New York Transit Authority, who continue to use the trademarks and graphic standards produced my Unimark to this day. Then in 1971, he established his own studio, Vignelli Associates in New York with his wife, Lella where he continues to design to this day. Definitely a living legend.
Filed Under: Branding, Design, Furniture, Icons, Package, Studios
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