Inspiring Icon/ Massimo Vignelli

Left: Portrait Of Massimo, Right: His signature signature

Massimo's logo's for American Airlines

Massimo's logo's for Bloomingdales

Massimo's Perpetual Wall calendar for Nava Milano, 1980

His designs for Heller, including both product and packaging/ logo

Further designs for Heller

Left: Benches designed by Massimo for Heller, Right: The Knoll International poster

Left: poster for Pirelli, Right: More designs for Heller 

Left: Stendig Calendar, Right: Poster for Massimo's company 

Left: Pitchers designed by Lella and Massimo for Venini, Right: Table

Left: The NY Subway map, Right: Poster designed by Massimo

Left: Poltronova Saratoga furniture systems, Right: Lighting designed by Lella and Massimo

Left: Handkerchief chair for Knoll, Right: Paperclip table for Knoll

Logo's for both Ford and United Colors of Benetton

Left: Signage for the NY Subway, Right: His own poster

When you live in New York as I do, you see the influence of Massimo Vignelli everywhere from shopping bags to the subway, Coming up to a years anniversary of his death in May at the age of 83, I think we should never forget the layer and strength of design that he bought to the industry as a whole.

Massimo Vignelli, a world acclaimed graphic designer and architect whose Modernist aesthetic reached the masses without them even realizing, he focused on simplicity through the use of basic geometric forms in all his work. A fan of the architects Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, Massimo moved to New York from Italy in the mid 60’s as many do to fufil a dream of instigating functional beauty and change through design and boy did he do it! He introduced a European modernist point of view to the streets of New York and beyond.

His clients included American Airlines, Ford, IBM, Xerox and Gillette, Bloomingdale’s, Pirelli, Heller, Knoll, Benetton, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys, He is best known for designing the signs for the New York and Washington subways.

Massimo Vignelli and his wife Lella founded their own firm, Vignelli Associates, in 1971 in New York. It became Vignelli Designs in 1978. Lella Vignelli alongside her husband, managing the business and helping with design, they were a force together. Starting as a Graphic Design business they ventured quickly into interior, furniture and also product design. I love his range he did for Heller and many of his own furniture designs for Knoll. 

As one of the major figures in Modernism Massimo had an illustrious career spanning nine decades, I love the fact that his work remains as fresh and inspiring as the day it was brought in fruition, the hallmark of a exceptional visionary. He is one of our main influences and that's why we consider him and inspiring icon