Design Is One: The Vignellis

Design Is One: The Vignellis is a captivating 2012 American-Italian documentary film that paints a detailed and intimate portrait of the influential Italian-born designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli. The film was directed by Kathy Brew and Roberto Guerra and features in-depth interviews with prominent industry figures like Paola Antonelli, Barry Bergdoll, and Michael Bierut.

The film designates a significant 85-minutes to meticulously cover the life's work and philosophy of the Vignellis, backed by spectacular visual images and cinematography that beautifully highlights their broad scope of design works. The endearing partnership and professional dynamic of Massimo and Lella Vignelli is the heart and soul of the film, appreciatively unfolding their synergistic contributions to the international design stage.

Massimo and Lella Vignelli have been giant figures in the world of art and design for over fifty years, leaving their characteristic touch in various fields ranging from corporate identity and product design to furniture and environmental design. Design Is One starts by elucidating Massimo’s journey from Italy, where he studied architecture, to the United States. It sweeps the viewer along the eternal romance between Massimo and Lella, their partnership that extends from their personal life into their professional sphere as well.

The eponymous title, Design Is One, reflects the couple’s design ethos stating that design discipline is singular and adaptable regardless of its application. So, whether it be a spoon, a subway map or a corporate logo - it's all the same, Design is One. The Vignellis' design practice is deeply rooted in the Modernist tradition and is characterized by a distinctive sense of style that permeates all their work, regardless of the scale or medium of the project. This approach and their impact is illustrated throughout the film.

Many of their iconic designs, including the American Airlines logo and the New York City subway map, have taken on a life of their own in popular culture and are chronicled throughout the film. Contemporaneous accounts and direct interviews with the couple provide a fascinating insight into their creative process and their relationship with clients, as well as the way they confronted and challenged the conventions of design. The Vignellis' impact and legacy in shaping the look and feel of contemporary design is compellingly brought to light in the narrative, emerging as a tale of design that has evolved into a lifestyle and philosophy.

Design Is One incorporates interviews with an array of friends, collaborators, and experts in the design community – from MoMA's Paola Antonelli to graphic designer Michael Bierut and architecture historian Barry Bergdoll. Such interviews assist in further understanding the grand scale of the Vignellis' work while also conveying a sense of their enduring influence in the global design industry. The personal stories and recollections shared offer an intimate peek into the minds behind the illustrious names, painting a human, relatable façade of the couple.

Aside from the interviews, the film utilizes a range of archival footage, including designs, photography, and personal shots from the Vignellis' history spanning several decades. This impressive collection of artifacts allows us to observe their process, transition, and evolution as artists, adding another historical dimension to the narrative.

The aesthetic brilliance of Design Is One is infused with warmth, humor, and personal anecdotes, allowing viewers to appreciate the Vignellis not just as iconic design figures but as people in love with their craft and each other. The film manages to convey this story with poise and respect for their vast contributions to the design world.

Roberto Guerra and Kathy Brew masterfully fuse the history of the couple’s life and work into an intimate chronological narrative, a showcase of the exceptional lives of two people and the design empire they constructed together. Senior figures from the design world provide their thoughts on the duo's influence, interspersed with contemporary footage of the Vignellis. Vivid and vibrant, the film is as expressive and engaging as the pair it portrays, a testament to the power and depth of their design philosophy.

All in all, Design Is One: The Vignellis is more than a documentary about design; it is a celebration of lifelong love, imaginative collaboration, and relentless dedication to elegance and efficiency in design. One gets a sense of their refined aesthetic, effective simplicity, and their profound belief in the notion that good design should be visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and, above all, timeless. It's an essential cinematic journey for anyone interested in design, art, or the relentless pursuit of creative perfection.