Modernist design legend comes to VCU

A line of people stretched down West
Grace Street Monday afternoon await-ing a
lecture by Massimo Vignelli, a leader in the
modernist graphic-design movement.

Vignelli is most famous for his design of
the New York City subway map and signage.
Vignelli also has designed identities and
packaging for Bloomingdales, American
Airlines and Heller, among others. Although
Vignelli arrived an hour late because of his
delayed flight from New York City, the 225
seats in VCU’s West Grace Theater were
filled.

Vignelli’s modernist philosophies
encompassed the idea of creating a design
that is objective rather than subjective.
“Subjectivity; it’s a disease. You express
yourself by the depth and consistency of
your message, not by showing a trend,”
Vignelli said.

One way Vignelli said he obtains objective
design is by choosing an objective typeface,
such as the popular Swiss sans serif
typeface Helvetica, which he said allows
design to be based on structural elements
and the message, rather than feeding off of
an emotional reaction.

Vignelli bragged about bringing Helvetica
to America from Italy and how he put it on
water, in air and on land through different
corporate identities, ranging from boats to
airplanes, he has created.

A feature-length independent film
dedicated to Helvetica currently is being
shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New
York City. The film features an interview with
Vignelli.

A New York Times review of the film
states, “Some praise it (Helvetica) as a
conceptual breakthrough; others blast it as a
lowest-common-denominator typeface
whose use both reflects and perpetuates
conformity.”

A democratic approach to design is
important to Vignelli.

“(This is) respect of individuals, not
glorification of the self, which is a
misconception of democracy,” said Vignelli.
Vignelli doesn’t find market research and
focus groups favorable, but said he respects
them as there is room for everyone in our
culture.

“The profession (of market research) is
born out of fear of failure. To make it worse,
they invented focus groups . they don’t see
the future because they are not in the
business,” Vignelli said.

He said it is the job of designers to be
forward-thinking, to find a need and invent a
unique solution for that particular need that
hasn’t been thought of yet.

The lecture was interspersed with jokes
from Vignelli. He said designing a dog-andcat
book in the mid-’80s became one of his
favorite projects because “cats are always
photographed like pin-ups against red velvet
. cats are professionals, and I wanted them
photographed like models against white
backgrounds.”

An exhibition and poster project Vignelli
Associates designed in 1991 stirred up some
controversy and resulted in hate mail.
According to Vignelli’s Web site, he was
“exasperated by the growing amount of bad
typefaces distorted, compressed and
extended by people recklessly using the
computer,” so the gallery only showed work
using four basic typefaces and suggested
that designers should trash all other
typefaces.

He said it is frugal to design decorative
fonts that do not serve a set, objective
purpose.

“Designing type is like designing
wallpaper; as long as people will keep buying
it, people will keep making it,” Vignelli said.

The point Vignelli emphasized most was
the need to learn how to utilize scale, which
is different from size but commonly confused
as being synonymous. One way he
suggested discovering the proper use of
scale is through music, noticing how volume varies
to create variety and resonance.

Vignelli also said rhythm, or a consistent
system, is used in powerful music and design
alike.

“Once you get the key, you can write the
whole symphony. You don’t believe me? Just
talk to Mozart.”

While his design philosophy glowed on
the projector screen, Vignelli’s opening words
were, “Let’s start in Milano where I was
born.” He spoke about his early interest in
design, which he investigated through
architecture.

He said architecture was the only practical
form of design at the time.

While studying at the Universita di
Architettura in Venice, Italy, Vignelli met his
wife, Leila, who currently helps run their New
York City design firm, Vignelli Associates.
Last year was their 50th anniversary. Vignelli
described Leila as the “brakes” and himself
as the “engine.”

“Without the brakes, I would have
smashed the car a long time ago,” Vignelli
said.

Vignelli offered advice to design students
at the lecture, urging them to view
themselves as professionals, just as doctors
or lawyers might consider themselves
professionals.

In the mid-’60s, Vignelli and his coworkers
would wear white smocks to show
their professionalism when bringing clients to
their office. He joked that at first his clients
wouldn’t know if they were at a dentist office
or at a design firm.

Vignelli also spoke of the relationship that
should exist between client and designer.
“Never do what a client wants-do what
they need. Sometimes you might agree, but
that’s an accident,” Vignelli said.

Vignelli also spent a few hours lecturing
and answering questions the following day at
the new graphic design building at 1509
Main St. He spent time with VCU Design
Center, a service-learning class, and offered
his advice about a client with whom they are
working.