#vignellicenter

Happy #InternationalBeerDay!

The most common question we get asked is “Why is the Vignelli Center at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY?” Perhaps our story starts with a letter from our director, R. Roger Remington, to Massimo Vignelli in 1972 about Knoll International. This was their first contact which led to many decades of friendship and collaboration. And of course, it was all about the grid. 

In 1967, Massimo Vignelli, then a partner at Unimark International, was hired to create a new corporate identity for Knoll International.

In 1972, Remington wrote to Vignelli about his grid system for Knoll. However, Vignelli did not respond directly but the request was directed to Knoll, who sent catalogs and this article from Graphis about the project. It’s incredible that this letter survived all these decades to return to RIT.

Stay tuned as we share more stories about the Vignelli-RIT connection. 

See more Knoll artifacts from the archives: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/search/knoll 

Knoll International Textile Price List 1970 Box 125, Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Knoll-Vignelli Correspondence Box 267, Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Happy American Archives Month!

Here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at the work we do in the archives!

We have two floors of vault storage. Here's a peak at the 4th floor vault. Our building and the shelf graphics by Vignelli.

We spend a lot of time rehousing the Vignelli collection in archival boxes. Boxes of boxes arrive on multiple pallets!

Then we get to work reboxing and organizing the artifacts to help preserve them and make them accessible to researchers.

And slowly the stacks transform from old boxes to new boxes!

Happy eight! We’re counting down to our 8th anniversary! The 8th marked 8 days until our 8th anniversary. Join us for 8 days of 8s from the archives!

Today’s 8 is from the archives vault. Our compact movable shelving does not have the standard labels. We have graphics designed by Vignelli.

Day five: Silver designs for San Lorenzo   http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/178019596837/vignellicenter-eightanniversary-lellasanlorenzo

Day four: 1988 poster for IDCNY http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/177984915807/vignellicenter-eighthanniversary-idcnybierutposter

Day three: New York Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/177947410082/vignellicenter-eightanniversary-nycsubwaymanual

Day Two: Nation’s Business magazine http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/177915826852/vignellicenter-eightanniversary-nationsbusiness

Its Manuals Monday!

On Mondays we are sharing graphics standards manuals on our Instagram page! But today’s manual is from the Vignelli archives so we’re sharing it here too!

Today’s Monday manual is for Warner Brothers Studio Store! Vignelli Associates designed this visual identity program for WB in 1997. 

More by Vignelli Associates for Warner Bros., packaging for Stanley Kubrick films:  http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/78451938209/kubrick-video-boxes http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/78444251246/kubrick-sketch-brochure http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/161786035987/vignelli-kubrik-video-mcdowell-birthday

We recently found this "dummy" for the @knollinc tabloid from the 1970s. The tabloid was meant to be a change from the sleek brochures of the 1960s and have an underground paper feel of the 1970s. It was also the first tabloid printed in four colors!

More on Knoll and Vignelli: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/search/knoll

Knoll Tabloid, 1976 11 3/4” x 16 1/2” Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

It’s archives month and every Thursday archivists, designers, and other design lovers are featuring their #designarchives treasures!

In 1976, Vignelli Associates did a graphic identity system for the Eighth Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Church of America held in Boston, Massachusetts. 

“The symbol has a yellow background which serves visually and metaphorically to expand the white cross.” design: Vignelli, p.33.

In the archives, we have a large selection of presentation boards demonstrating the use of the symbol for the conventions various graphic design needs from banners to publications. We also have examples of the final publications. 

This symbol is featured in the design: Vignelli catalog from 1990. In the archives we have the mechanicals for printing of design: vignelli which shows the Pantone color for this yellow: Yellow 012 U. 

Eighth Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Church of America presentation boards, 1976 24” x 24” box 376, Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Eighth Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Church of America publications, stationary, and labels, 1976 box 130, Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Mechanical for design: Vignelli book, 1990 15” x 22” Portfolio V12, Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Day five: Happy 7th anniversary to us!

Our dedication ceremony was held on September 16th, 2010. We’re celebrating the number seven all week. Each day we will feature seven artifacts from the archives from one of the seven decades of the Vignellis’ career!

Today we move to the 1990s! 

Stay tuned! Tomorrow we move on to the 2000s.

Day one the 1950s: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/165414947927/vignelli-sevendecades-1950s

Day two the 1960s: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/165448932227/vignelli-sevendecades-1960s

Day three the 1970s: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/165486175272/vinelli-sevendecades-1970s

Day four the 1980s: http://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/post/165521190662/vignelli-sevendecades-1980s

design: Vignelli catalog, 1990 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Roma Termini signage project, first phase design concept, 1998 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

World Trade Center at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, 1996 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

SeaCo graphic standards manual draft with sketches and corrections, 1998 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Bernini desk drawing, 1990 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Benetton graphics standards manual, 1995 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York