Monologue The Death of Massimo Vignelli back at May 27, 2014 gave us a shocking news. For all of us Mr. Vignelli was a great inspiration, for some, probably a role model. The legacy of Mr. Vignelli was timeless, as he liked the word used to express designs he favored.
We decided to change the publication of June to honor Mr. Vignelli. For us personally preparing this publication was like remembering and also honoring his works. We loved how vast his works are, how diverse that it would’ve been impossible to many people. Not only he is gifted and talented, he also had a gentle heart. Though awarded various awards, Mr Vignelli still shares his work to others. He had dedicated his life not only to design, but to expand and improve design, a timeless design.
We missed the chance to sent him a letter expressing our gratitude. All of us as acedemics are touched by his principles, we are growing holding dear what he told to the world. So this would be our personal letter to him. Thank you Mr. Vignelli, thank you for the spirit, the wonderful guidance. May you rest in peace.
Sincerely, Dear.
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C
alled as the “grandfather of graphic design” Massimo Vignelli had worked more than just for graphic design,
he made interior design, environmental design, package design, furniture design, product design, exhibition design, public signage, and many more. With a solid foundation of knowledge and principle, Mr. Vignelli worked through out the years creating amazing works unbound by trend, preferences, or even time.
The Life of Massimo
studied architecture in Politecnico
Vignelli was born in Milan pre
di Milano, in Milan, and Universita
World War II. He experienced the
di Architettura, in Venice. There
time when they would hear bomb
he befriended great architectures
alarms and had to run into a shelter.
such as Le Courbusier, Mies can
Upon growing, Vignelli’s passion
der Rohe, Alvar Aalto, and Charles
for design grew when he visited his
Eames.
mother’s interior designer friend. He never fully realized that everything
Vignelli met his future wife, Lella,
all around him was born from the
at an architecture convention and
human mind. He started reading
got married in 1957. Together they
about design book and started
opened an office for design and
sketching ideas of furniture that he
architecture in Milan. They worked
wanted for his own room.
for European companies such as Pirelli, Rank, Xerox and Olivetti.
At the age of 16, Vignelli started
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studying and also working in an
Together with Lella, he then went to
office of a local architect, because
New York in 1965 as the co-founder
at that time, there weren’t any
and design director of Unimark
design shcools. 2 years later he then
International Corporation. with
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his direction Unimark grew rapidly
company Vignelli designed diverse
becoming one of the largest design
projects.
Identity design by Massimo Vignelli
firms in the world at that time. With Unimark, Vignelli designed many
On his life’s journey Vignelli has
corporate identities, including
taught and lectured about design
American Airlines, Bloomingdales
in many huge cities and universities
and Knoll. Vignelli also worked on
across the United States and also
the iconic signage of the New York
abroad. He taught a summer course
City Subway and also the so called
at the Harvard University Graduate
‘controversial’ subway map.
School of Design. He was the past president of the Alliance Graphique
Feeling that Unimark has shifted
Internationale and the American
it’s focus more on marketing rather
Institute of Graphic Arts. He also
than design, Vignelli resigned from
was the vice president of the
Unimark in 1971 and together
Architectural League.
with his wife, Lella Vignelli, they established Vignelli Associates that
Vignelli participated in the Stock
year and later on Vignelli Designs
Exchange of Visions in 2007.
in 1978. Together with his own
He wrote and publish the book,
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“Vignelli: From A to Z”, which
course at Harvard. Vignelli released
contains his principles and concepts
“The Vignelli Canon”, a free e book
upon a good design. It was
that is available to download for
organized alphabetically by topic,
free on Vignelli Associates website.
and had contents similar to his
Vignelli was always known to be the
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Vignelli’s Design for the NY Subway Map
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man that is delighted to share his
feasibility, the planning, technicals
knowledge and experience to other
and what the design can be.
designers.
On 2008, Massimo and Lella donated their entire archive of design works to Rochester Institute of Technology. The archive is stored in a new building designed by both Lella and Vignelli, named The Vignelli Center for Design Studies. Vignelli and his wife, Lella.
Working with Lella Both Massimo and Lella was awarded the AIGA Gold Medal at 1982, as their work was prodigious in quantity, vast and diverse in media and scope, and also consistently excellent. Both are acknowledged for their contribution in design.
Massimo and Lella worked together with their own expertise. Massimo had a great passion in what they call “2D”-graphic design, while Lella’s background was “3D”- architecture. Massimo visions the design, the possibility, the visual, what the design could be. Lella thinks about
With both being passionate and also excellent in skill of expertise, their combination made possible to extraordinary results. Both see through the design together, through every steps of the design process. They both teach, write, lecture and dedicate their talent, energy and time for worthy causes, especially for design.
The Vignellis are very serious upon design, they pronounce design with a capital “d”, they pronounce it “Design”. “When we were young and naive, we thought we could transform society by providing a better, more designer environment.
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Naturally, we found that this was
dedicated the whole design process
not possible. Now we think more
to devise a form that suited best to
realistically: We see a choice
a certain function. For him, good
between good design and poor or
design is imperative.
non design. Ever society gets the design it deserves. It is our duty to
He described the design he like
develop a professional attitude in
is a design that is semantically
raising the standard of design.”
correct, syntactically consistent,
“We see a choice between good design and poor or non design. ”
and pragmatically understandable. He like a design that is visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and above all timeless. He described intellectually elegance is the
The Paradigm of Vignelli
intellectual that keeps refining itself
Massimo, being married to Lella,
with education and also knowledge,
befriending great architects, and
it is the opposite of intellectual
studying architect himself develops
vulgarity, something unrefined.
a architectural mindset and
Because intellectual elegance is
character in his designs. His posters,
about education and refinement,
publication and graphic designs
it is a continual search and
are designed with structures, built
progression for the best and also
story by story, level by level, had
for the sublime, and it constantly
a strong horizontal rules. Raised
rejects things that are vulgar. He
in a modernism era also, Vignelli
explained that Good things will
appreciated basic geometry. He
have permanence, or something
also designed with a function based
that is timeless.
mindset. Each element must serve
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a certain purpose. Vignelli stated
Timeless
once, “The correct shape is the
Until today, both Knoll and
shape of the object’s meaning.” He
Bloomingdale kept their identity,
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and still look as fresh as it could’ve
is the reason. Previous New York
be. American Airlines changed
subway map are designed full of
their identity a few years back for
information, in which the massive
their very own good reasons, but
information are pushed down
looking back at the original work of
in one map, creating confusion
Vignelli, the logo without the bird,
and illegibility. Vignelli’s design
was also timeless. People would
seperated what is above and what
mock at the works of Vignelli at
is bellow. The subway is located
his time, as it seemed too simple
bellow, therefore he only focuses on
and unrepresentative (American
creating the subway map only, not
Airlines), or also misleading and
showcasing what is above. For every
confusing (NYC Subway Map). But
subway line he used a different
there were reasons behind every
color for a better identification,
decision.
which is once again for legibility.
On American Airlines logo without
Every station stop he used a dot,
the eagle there was legibility, which
a simple black colored symbol
is why Vignelli chose Helvetica,
that also has contrast which
which is a new typeface time that
also increases legibility. He then
has great legibility. He wanted
represent what is above with soft
to make one word of American
colored geometric shape, which
Airlines, so there was “AA”, half
made people mad, also for the
red, half blue, representing America
legibility reasons. He also simplified
itself. He proceeded with logic,
the train tracks, only using a
not just emotion, trend or fashions.
straight, horizontal, vertical, 45
He continued, “Design is much
degree and 90 degree turn only to
more profound. Styling is very much
represent the tracks, and the best
emotional. Good design isn’t- it’s
part, it is all designed in a beautiful
good forever.” On his subway map
grid. If we have to compare,
he described that again legibility
Vignelli’s subway map serves the
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function most, a subway map, not
will not end. He will always be
the town’s map. It also gives a
remembered not only for his
modern sense to it, which is also
designs but also for his passion.
probably from helvetica.
We recommend everyone to read Vignelli’s canon as we believe it
The mind that designs with reason
would expand your knowledge
for a function purpose, not only
about design. Inside you could
decorative purpose is the mind
learn of what the maestro think and
we thought every designer should
feel about his works. Learn not only
have. As our publication about
to design, but to design well, and
the great Vignelli ends, his legacy
above all to design timelessly.
Article References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massimo_Vignelli http://vignellicenter.rit.edu/about-center/massimo-vignelli/1 http://www.designishistory.com/1960/massimo-vignelli/ http://www.aiga.org/medalist-massimoandlellavignelli/ http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/01/10/massimo-vignelli-debbie-millman/ http://www.fastcodesign.com/3030621/rip-massimo-vignelli-one-of-the-greatest-20th-centurydesigners https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/275437.Massimo_Vignelli http://www.wnyc.org/story/284042-vignelli-designer-of-famous-subway-map-defends-hisversion-over-these-others-images/ http://online.wsj.com/articles/massimo-vignelli-who-once-designed-the-newyork-city-subway-map-and-created-the-bloomingdales-brown-bag-died-at-871401205879?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230 3627504579557753616910982.html http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/arts/design/the-subway-map-that-rattled-new-yorkers. html?_r=0 http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/27/5755158/massimo-vignelli-nyc-subway-map-designerdies-at-83 http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-18/q-and-a-original-american-airlines-designermassimo-vignelli-on-the-redesigned-logothat
Image References: http://christopherhamby.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/massimo-v-nyc-subway-map.jpg http://media.graphis.com/uploads/publications/spreads/0087_a.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vignelli_Center_RIT.jpg http://www.wkrb13.com/logos/knoll-logo.jpg http://femmeducoupe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bloomingdales_logo_svelt.jpg http://netdna.webdesignerdepot.com/uploads/2013/02/american-airlines-1968-logo1024x707.jpg
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Next Discussion: Since we actually had prepared the material before switching to this month’s theme publication, we have more time to refine. Expect more letters, on this publication we would like to detail more on the story of Massimo Vignelli than simply showcasing his works, but on the next publication, we will showcase more, with more letters. =)
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