Your creativity has no limits
A perfect embodiment for that would be one of the most important protagonists in the field of creativity and design, Massimo Vignelli who was famous for his phrase “Design is one”.
The cool & modernist Italian was the living embodiment of the limitless nature of true creativity. His body of work throughout the decades of his career demonstrated both a real comprehension of design and an astute ability to combine both form and functionality in the most harmonious manner, not to mention he was one of the main reasons behind the surge of a European Modernist view within North American Design. A master of minimalism, Vignelli’s designs were renowned for their elegance, functionality and timeless validity.
As a Graphic Designer Vignelli constantly shined and pushed boundaries. From designing the iconic brand identity for American Airlines, to his visionary work for furniture company Knoll. Self describing himself as an “Information architect”, he was also a master at rendering the complex simple, as seen in the unique Graphic system he designed for the complex NYC subway. His stamp on NYC also reached Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys as they all had their bags fashioned by Vignelli.
But Graphic design was merely the tip of the iceberg when it came to his creative output. He was a profound industrial designer as well, designing iconic products like the Handkerchief Chair, Compact stacking dinnerware and the Heller ware line of cups and kitchenware. To a series of lighting fixtures throughout his career. He also dabbled in Interior Design, environmental design and architecture.
Circa 2008, Vignelli was in Toronto as one of the speakers of Design Thinkers a conference organized by the RGD. The auditorium was packed, and out came this elder man, dressed in a simple black on black attire, he sat on a stool perched in the middle of the stage and began to take the audience through his extensive body of work. At one point, he casually mentioned that he designed the clothes he's wearing, then followed it up with some golden advice, “if you can design one thing, you can design everything.”
Such profound words of wisdom, not only inspired me immediately, but over the years, they continued to marinate through my creative being and the magnitude of what he said would become clearer each day. Truly we're only limited by our own minds and imagination.
