The Vignelli Canon is a short reference book on communication and typography by Massimo Vignelli, the founder of Vignelli Associates along with his wife Lella in 1971 . Probably most known for such work as the signage system for the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, the corporate identity for American Airlines and package design for IBM. If you have seen the documentary Helvetica you most likely remember Mr. Vignelli as the first designer interviewed in the film. The Vignelli Canon shares theories and principles  of typography extracted from over 50 years of Mr. Vignelli’s experience as a graphic designer.

If you haven’t already already downloaded the book, provided free in PDF form from Vignelli Associates, I highly recommend getting it. It is a concise 96 pages and can be read easily in one or two sittings but still retains a great deal of depth despite its relative brevity. I would gladly read a book three times in length but still this an amazing resource offered for free so I have no reason to complain.

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