Unimark International was an international

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1965 by six partners: Ralph Eckerstrom, Lella and

Massimo Vignelli Massimo Vignelli (; January 10, 1931 – May 27, 2014) was an Italian designer who worked in a number of areas including packaging, houseware, furniture, public signage, and showroom design. He was the co-founder of Vignelli Associates, with his ...

, Bob Noorda, James Fogelman, Wally Gutches, and Larry Klein. Although they were not listed as founding partners, Jay Doblin and Robert Moldafsky joined the new firm almost immediately. Initially, Unimark had three offices: Chicago, Milan and New York. The American branches were founded by Vignelli and his wife Lella, who subsequently founded Vignelli Associates. Additional offices opened around the world, but these were often short-lived as the client base and funding varied, and as American and global economic issues influenced the viability of each office. Unimark downsized dramatically in 1972 and filed for final Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1977. It no longer exists. Although the firm was relatively short-lived, it was at one time the largest design firm in the world, and it had a major influence on the direction of American design aesthetics. The firm was a leader in establishing a modernist philosophical direction for corporate design that is still widely followed. Former

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...

designer

Herbert Bayer Herbert Bayer (April 5, 1900 – September 30, 1985) was an Austrian and American graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental and interior designer, and architect. He was instrumental in the development of the ...

was an early member of the firm's Board of Directors. The graphic style of Unimark's projects was decidedly

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

. Unimark rejected the idea of the designer-as-artist, embraced standardization and systems and emphasizing the use of

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as an organizational tool for corporate communications. The typeface

Helvetica Helvetica (originally Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann. Helvetica is a neo-grotesque design, one influenced by the famous 19th century (1890s) ...

was widely, though not exclusively, used by Unimark designers. The firm was an early specialist in designing corporate identity systems, branding, and signage systems. Clients included

American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

, Gillette,

JC Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...

Knoll In geography, knoll is another term for a knowe or hillock, a small, low, round natural hill or mound. Knoll may also refer to: Places * Knoll Camp, site of an Iron Age hill fort Hampshire, England, United Kingdom * Knoll Lake, Leonard Canyon, A ...

, and the New York Transit Authority who continue to use Unimark-created trademarks and graphic standards. Due to the significance and history of the Unimark name, a number of copy-cat design companies have adopted the name in order to attract business. However, none of the current firms or their employees are connected in any way to the original Unimark International. Along with the archives of founder Massimo Vignelli, many of the Unimark archives are now housed in the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at

Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private research university in the town of Henrietta in the Rochester, New York, metropolitan area. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional ...

Bibliography

* Unimark International, The Design of Business and the Business of Design

ISBN The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition an ...

978-3-03778-184-5. OCLC 428029133.

References

External links

List of Unimark holdings in the New York Museum of Modern Art
{{Authority control Graphic design studios Defunct companies based in Chicago Design companies established in 1964 1964 establishments in Illinois Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1977