Berger & Föhr's stylish posters pay tribute to the late great Massimo Vignelli

Massimo Vignelli was one of the most important graphic designers of his generation and his death in May affected the creative community very strongly and very immediately. The tributes poured in (some of which we included in our piece here) but for some the response to his passing would take a little longer to formulate. So it was with Colorado-based studio Berger & Föhr, who began this set of tribute posters when they first learned of his illness.

“Massimo was a very special person; he was an inspiration and a mentor. We are proud to be able to have called him a friend,” they say.

“Massimo loved type. But, he loved structure more. We selected ten of our favourite ‘Massimoisms’ and ten of Massimo’s favourite typefaces (he believed there to be roughly a dozen great ones). We then reappropriated his Unigrid to organise and support Massimo’s messages.

“We had hoped to share these with Massimo before his passing. Sadly, we could not.”

The resulting prints are excellent tributes to the man, the designer and the ideas he stood for. In an age when Tweeted soundbites from design conferences assume disporportionate significance, it’s great to be reminded of a proper design legend and the enduring wisdom of the way he looked at the world.