Design is One: Review

Design is One, a documentary about design and work of Lella and Massimo Vignelli, was extremely well done. I thought it did a great job of chronicling their work and the impact they have had on the design world. Before seeing this film I briefly knew the extent of their practice. For example, their most notable work probably being the NYC Subway redesign and the Bloomingdales and American Airlines logos. However, this movie opened my eyes to the breadth of their work. I had no idea that they ventured into furniture and product design and was in awe of some of the pieces they created. My favorite being their collection of cups and pitchers based on the dome of a church in Venice. I also loved the table Lella shows that sat in their office space. I also loved how the film stresses their use of typography, which I have always admired, and how Massimo "brought Helvetica to this country."
Lella's role in a lot of the work they designed was also unknown to me. I always knew Massimo as the primary designer and was never aware of Lella as his partner. I thought the way the film interviewed both Massimo and Lella with each describing their own projects and things they've worked on together was a great way to bring the viewers into their partnership, both as spouses and designers. I really enjoyed the film and learned so much about their design methodology. I have a newfound appreciation for their work as designers.