Third Person

Massimo Vignelli is a pioneering graphic designer who revolutionized visual communication through iconic modernist designs for American Airlines, Bloomingdale's, and the New York City Subway.

Massimo Vignelli

New York, NY

Experience

1971 – 2014

Vignelli Associates

1971 – 2014

Co-Founder & President

Led major corporate identity projects and established design standards for global brands

1965 – 1971

Unimark International

1965 – 1971

Co-Founder

Built one of the world's largest design firms, pioneering systematic corporate design

1960 – 1965

Piccoli Publishers

1960 – 1965

Designer

Revolutionized book design and typography for Italian publishing house

1958 – 1960

Centro Di

1958 – 1960

Art Director

Shaped modernist graphic design movement in postwar Italy

Projects

National Park Service Publications

Designer

Adopted across all 423 national parks

2025

for US Department of Interior

NYC Subway Signage System

Designer

Guides 5.5 million daily riders for 50+ years

1972

for NY MTA

Bloomingdale's Identity & Packaging

Designer

150 million iconic brown bags produced

1972

for Bloomingdale's

American Airlines Identity

Designer

Longest lasting airline brand

1967

for American Airlines

Knoll Identity and Graphics Program

Designer

Set furniture industry design standards

for 30+ years

1967

for Knoll

Awards

Honorary Royal Designer for Industry

2025

National Lifetime Achievement Award

2004

for Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum

Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement

1991

for American Institute of Architects (AIA)

AIGA Medal

1983

for American Institute of Graphic Arts