What impressed me the most from Massimo Vignelli’s presentation was when he said “the purpose of design is to carry a message. When the carrier becomes more important than the message, something is wrong.”
This idea was repeated over and over through his designs, through his appearance and through his presentation style.
Although at first I had a hard time understanding him because of his accent and microphone issues, the way he talked and presented seemed to just flow and inform in a way that tied in with the message of what design should be. After a while I didn’t notice his accent, just what he was saying.
Also, I didn’t even notice what Vignelli was wearing until I remembered to take a conscious note of it. His black turtleneck, slacks and blazer didn’t detract or add to his appearance, they just were. And of course, his designs were simple and strong and spoke for themselves.
The design that most impressed me was the church. If he wouldn’t have shown us the incense holder or other utensils he had designed I wouldn’t have been able to tell what denomination the church was just by looking at the design. It didn’t hold to a formula, it was just simple and beautiful.
Likewise, I think that a good Web site design draws you to the content of the site. You may like the colors or design, but if the site is doing its job, you’ll remember the information on the site, not the layout.
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I hadn't given much thought to Vignelli's appearance, but you are absolutely right! He was all in black, neither adding to or detracting from his presence. Once I thought back on it, in all the photos we'd seen of him over the years, his personal styling was the same. Not always all black, but always spare, sharp, and not speaking louder than the man himself. You are right that he allows his aesthetic to speak for itself, and that his fashion is no exception speaks volumes about how ingrained and organic that aesthetic is.
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