Born on Jan. 10, 1931 in Milan, Massimo Vignelli would grow up to be a legend in the design world. His architecture background is revealed in his designs: clean lines, beautiful forms through the use of typography, and above all a sense of balance and interconnectivity. A major proponent for beautiful and functional design. To me, Vignelli instilled in designers the notion that design isn’t just about “making it pretty.” It’s about making it beautiful AND useable.

He died on May 27, 2014 at his home in New York at the age of 83. He was one of those rare figures that you read about in history books, and then to happily find out the man was still alive! I don’t know why, but if you’re in a history book of some kind I just automatically assumed you’ve passed away. Vignelli designed up until his last days and frequently give talks across the country. I regret not to have make it to at least one of his lectures.

While I did not know him by means of meeting him in person or being taught by him (that would’ve been a dream come true), I felt a connection in that we share a common ideology. A chair can just be something flat with four legs attached, but will it be comfortable to sit in? Functionality aside, will it create any sort of value for its owner? Being beautiful and functional create a certain value to a product that ultimately make it a worthwhile investment. Being one or the other doesn’t always have that result. Design is the same. A logo can just be some text and images thrown together, or it can be something memorable and flexible enough to be seen from far away and still beautiful up close.

Vignelli also proves if you can design one thing, you can design everything. And if you can’t find anything you like, design it just the way you want it! A designer does not have to be confined to the world of 2D but also 3D and now digital experiences as well. He also tried his hand at fashion design (albeit it wasn’t as successful as some of his other ventures like furniture and product design). As a young designer, I felt like he opened a lot of doors and set a certain standard that allow me to use that as the base of my design beliefs. He will be truly missed. Below are some iconic designs by Vignelli. His prolific career includes logo design for American Airline to print material for the National Park Service (which are still in used).

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Images from Subtraction.com, NY Times, and Vignelli Associates