Vignelli studied architecture, first at the famed Politecnico of his native Milan, and then in Venice, taking his degree in 1957. After working several years for the glass manufacturer Venini, he opened an office of his own in 1960.

By 1965, Vignelli, along with his wife and collaborator Lella, had moved to New York, where they, along with a group of other designers, founded the corporate identity studio Unimark. By 1971, Massimo and Lella had opened their own studio, Vigenelli Associates.

Currently active, it has remained a major presence in the design world. Their corporate identity work for Knoll in 1972 made them internationally famous; they went on to create logotypes and identities for other notable clients, including American Airlines, Ford, Xerox, Lancia, Bloomingdale’s, and the International Design Center of New York. Page 2 >