A One-Stop Shop Designer

By Sarah Clark
Sarah.clark@graphicdesignschoolreview.com
Graphic Design School Review Columnist

Graphic designers don’t have to be confined to two-dimensional design. They can also design interiors, products, and furniture, as the founders of Vignelli Designs have shown. You can be a one-stop shop that meets all of your clients' design needs.

Lella and Massimo Vignelli spoke at the most recent AIGA conference about their philosophy "Design is One." The design duo started their business in New York in the 1970s, where they established one of the most respected design firms in the United States.

The "Design is One" Concept

The "Design is One" concept upholds the idea that design should not be separated. It promotes the idea that true designers are able to design both in a two-dimensional and three-dimensional context. Such designers can effectively design anything - from corporate identity graphics to interiors - and that's what Lella and Massimo have been doing the last several decades.

The Vignellis are known for their design of New York City subway maps and signs, historical building signs in New York, and corporate identity graphics for American Airlines, and United Colors of Benetton. They've also proven themselves brilliant interior designers, doing notable work for St. Peter's Church in New York and a variety of corporate showrooms. They've also designed packaging for IBM, Bloomingdales, and Brookstone.

Branching Out Beyond Corporate Identity Graphics

One advantage of designing across many different media is that you can work with a single company on all their design needs, from interiors to packaging, providing design that articulates a consistent theme. Another advantage of designing more than corporate identity graphics is benefiting from the intellectual stimulation and professional development it promotes. Designing a chair requires planning and thinking that differs from design that consists only of graphic images. It challenges your assumptions about design and your own abilities.

So if you're interested in graphic design, consider experimenting with other types of design during your college coursework. Take a class on industrial or furniture design and see what hidden design talents it may unveil.

Sources:

AIGA

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer based in Arlington, Virginia.