Massimo Vignelli was an Italian graphic, industrial, interior, and furniture designer. He was born in Milan and was professionally active in Milan, New York, and Chicago. Vignelli was an acclaimed graphic designer who created a modernist vision with book covers, furniture, corporate logos, and even the New York City subway map.
Education
Between 1950 and 53, he studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and 1953 and 57 at the Universita di Architettura, Venice.
Biography
1958-60, he taught at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. 1960, the Vignellis settled in Milan and set up the Lella and Massimo Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture. In 1965, in Chicago, he co-founded Unimark International, a design firm with offices worldwide.
Massimo Vignelli and his architect wife Leila were considered a husband and wife team credited with introducing restrained European fashion and taste in America in the 1970s.
1966-71, having moved to New York, he was active in the design office he established there. During this time, corporate identity programs were designed for American Airlines, Knoll, Ford, and others as well as signage for the New York City and Washington DC subway systems.
In 1971, the Vignellis set up the design firm Vignelli Associates in New York with a staff of designers. He became a member of ADI (Associazione per ii Disegno Industriale). The Vignellis work included corporate identity programs for Xerox. Lancia, Cinzano.
Bloomingdale’s, USA National Parks Services Publications, and International Design Center of New York. He did book design for Chanticleer Press, Rizzoli, and Fodor Travel Guides.
Summary of Works
Graphic formats for magazines Architectural Record and American Ceramics. The opposition, A+U Zodiac, and others: graphics for Knoll.
Diversity of Work
- Glassware for Venini and Steuben; and
- silverware for San Lorenzo and Calegaro. His designs included the
- 1964 Saratoga chair and sofa for Poltronova.
- 1966 logos for True Cigarette,
- 1964-71 furniture for Poltronova, from
- 1987 furniture for Poltrona Frau,
- 1971 furniture for Sunar,
- 1974 interiors at the Minneapolis Institute of Fine Arts.
- 1975 interior designs for St. Peter’s Church in New York,
- 1972 shopping bag for Bloomingdale’s department store.
- 1972-87 showrooms worldwide of Artemide.
- 1974 and 1990 jewellery for San Lorenzo,
- 1979 furniture for Rosenthal.
- 1979 goblets and flatware produced by Venini for Ciga Hotels,
- 1979 Acom chair and Rotunda for Sunar,
- 1979 shopping bag for Saks Fifth Avenue store,
- 1981 showrooms of Hauserman in Chicago,
- 1985 Serenissimo table for Acerbis, 1985 jewellery for Cleta Munari.
- 1985-87 ceramics, flatware, and glassware for Sasaki,
- 1982-87 Handkerchief chair (produced in 1991, designed with David B. Law) by Knoll,
- 1990 Magie illuminated coffee table created by Morphos, and
- 1993 range of crystal vessels by Steuben.
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Mallard Press. (1991). The illustrated dictionary of 20th-century designers.
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“The life of a designer is a life of fight: fight against the ugliness.”
― Massimo Vignelli