Remembering Massimo Vignelli

By David Gibson

It's awfully sad to think of the passing of Massimo Vignelli. As I reflect on my life and work as a designer, I realize that Massimo is like a beacon, a bright constant presence in the professional world I have inhabited here in New York City for the past three and a half decades. It's hard to imagine that he is no longer with us.

But his vision is all around us on the city's subway signs and on the brightly colored circles that have become the universal language of the New York City subway. Though we don't see it every day, his iconic subway map is omnipresent for many of us, a stroke of genius where he brought order to the chaos of the subway network. I can't think of anyone who embraced a philosophy of design as fully as Massimo. It was reflected in the public and private world he created, from the infrastructure of the city, to the artifacts of home, even to the clothes he designed for himself. It was a grand vision that imagined a beautiful world of gorgeous simple things. In his long career he created so many of them. I particularly remember the guide books he created for Knopf - beautiful typography, simple layouts, such handsome satisfying useful books.

In the end, what made Massimo so special is that he was a giant but also a humble, warm, kind man. One of his last projects was a book that celebrated the work of his wife Lella Vignelli and her contributions to the Vignelli Associates body of work. What a beautiful loving gesture! When my wayfinding book was published five years ago, I was stunned to receive an enthusiastic fan letter from him - surprising but not out of character. He was one of the gods but very much rooted in our community of design. He loved design, he believed in the power of design. He inspired us to do the best.