Before stepping into William Truran’s spring 2022 Graphic Design IV course, 乔伊·温顿, 詹姆森，瑟斯顿警官，22岁, Kailyn Groski and 埃里克·卡斯塔涅达 hadn’t heard much about Massimo Vignelli. But they had certainly seen his designs.
Vignelli created the graphics and diagrams for New York City’s subway system. He designed logotypes for American Airlines and Bloomingdale’s, and implemented a design system used in unifying U.S. 国家公园出版物. His, and his wife Lella’s, work brought modernism to the U.S. and has inspired countless designers through the 20th and into the 21st century.
You can learn more from the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies. Or you can talk to Truran — he completed his masters degree at RIT, and brought an enthusiasm for Vignelli with him from the east coast to his classroom as an assistant professor at Doane.
Which is how he learned that a global, digital exhibit celebrating Vignelli’s 90th birthday and legacy (he died in 2014; Lella died in 2016) was in the works by Uruguayan designer Amijai Benderski, along with designers Santiago Ternande and Juan Martín Lusiardo.
“We found out probably a year and a half, two years ago that he [Benderski] was going to do this,特兰说, 当时他还在RIT. “It was really cool because there was no gatekeeping. 任何人都可以加入, anyone who thought Vignelli was important, or anyone whose professors thought Vignelli was important, 能参加吗.”
的 维格纳里90 exhibit was open to artists around the world to submit an A2-size design showcasing their vision of Vignelli’s legacy — 252 posters were received from artists in 46 different countries, ranging from undergraduate students to professionals with decades-long careers.
的 students in Graphic Design IV started by re搜索ing Vignelli. Posters were due in mid-February and the full exhibit launched just before the end of the semester in May.
“It was exciting to try and figure out a way to design a single piece of art that ‘summarizes’ the entire design career of another person,温顿说. “作为一个艺术家/设计师, having more empty space than content is a concept that I am slightly uncomfortable and unfamiliar with. Finding a way to create a poster that reflects Vignelli's style and values while also making it my own was a good challenge.”
Winton said it was also challenging to use fewer design elements — he chose to use a minimal color palette highlighting a quote from Vignelli, 带有微妙的几何韵味. Groski chose to echo the subway diagram. Officer-Thurston was influenced by the National Parks posters, and included several of Vignelli’s quotes. Castaneda went with a bold red and a nod to the subway graphics.
大家都很兴奋, 我认为, 在所有的地方,特兰说, 投入到项目中去, even though it was different and coming toward the end of their college careers. “的y all did quite a bit of re搜索 beforehand, 我认为这很有帮助, and can be seen through their projects.”
