Remembering the Designer Who Changed the Way We Think About Transit Maps

Whether it be an airline logo, a National Parks brochure, a shopping bag, or a subway map, there's a good chance you've come across something designed or influenced by Massimo Vignelli. The man who helped bring minimalism to American graphic design died Tuesday at the age of 83.

An architecture enthusiast his whole life, Vignelli, who was born in Milan, brought his aesthetic sensibilities, heavily influenced by men like Mies van der Rohe, to New York City in 1966. His impact on this country's design culture was almost immediate and, in some cases, endures to this day.