Vignelli Massimo & Paolo Venini Biography
Massimo Vignelli was born in Milan on 10 January 1931 and is considered an example of Italian genius and creativity in the world. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic of Milan and at the IUAV University of Venice. Over the course of his long career he ranges from Product Design to Exhibition Design up to Graphic Design, where he achieves the best results and notoriety. The young Vignelli attended the Castiglioni brothers' studio in Milan before moving to New York where, in 1965, together with others, he founded the communication and design agency Unimark International with offices in various countries. It grew with the generation of great architects such as Vittorio Gregotti, Aldo Rossi, Gae Aulenti, Guido Canella and others. Paolo Venini, owner of Venini Glass, offers Vignelli, a student in Venice, the opportunity to design some blown glass lamps for him, the Fungo lamps. Those lamps, exhibited in various museums, are among his first design experiences and among his first recognized works. In the same period Vignelli began to dedicate himself to graphics, designing newspapers, books and packaging, moving away from architecture to dedicate himself to design. Among the most significant examples of his graphic works are the first version of the stylized map of the famous New York subway in use until 1972, now on display at MoMA, or the manual for the use of the Helvetica font for transport signage from New York. Other important examples are the American Airlines logo (later renewed amid controversy), the Bloomingdale logo, Benetton, various restylings by Cinzano, IBM and Lancia. In 1971, with his wife Lella, he opened Vignelli Associates, also based in New York. Its motto "Design is one", inspired by the idea "from the spoon to the city" of the Austrian architect Adolph Loos, means that, aware that each sector requires specific skills, the true designer is the one who, mastering the design process , he is able to apply it to anything. At the origin of Vignelli's creative and productive process there are three fundamental concepts: simplicity, disinterest in fashion and visual power.
