Vignelli Center Lecture: Emanuela Frattini Magnusson
RIT's Vignelli Center for Design Studies presents Emanuela Frattini Magnusson, founder and principal of EFM Design, for its Design Conversations Lecture Series. The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Golisano Hall, room 1400. *Note the location change (previously was going to be held in MAGIC Spell Studios).
About Emanuela Frattini Magnusson
Emanuela Frattini Magnusson is the founder and principal of EFM Design, an international, award-winning, multidisciplinary practice that spans architecture, interiors, product design, brand development, and graphics.
Notable architectural projects include the Aqua townhouse development project in Miami, retail concepts for Russell Athletic, offices and showrooms for Knoll International, various art galleries and studios, a Times Square Hotel and restaurant, as well as number of residential projects in the United States and Europe, including the renovation of a Frank Lloyd Wright House in Rye, N.Y.
She has worked as the creative director of Spinneybeck leather. From 2013-17, she was Global Head of Design at Bloomberg LP, overseeing the design of their spaces at the intersection of local culture and global brand. During her tenure she completed over 40 projects in Australia, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Magnusson a is a board member of NYCxDesign, a not-for-profit that promotes New York as one of the world’s design centers, highlighting the role of design in both education and business. She serves on the nominating and the finance and strategy committees. She is the president of Gianfranco Frattini Studio, the archival institution she co-founded in 2020 that interacts with manufacturers and cultural institutions for re-editions and exhibitions of her father’s work. In this role she has curated and designed two exhibitions in Italy in 2023 and 2026, as well as co-produced the first catalogue raisonné of her father’s design work, a 400-plus page book published by Silvana Editoriale in April 2026.
Throughout her career, she has created award-winning, top-selling products for leading manufacturers, including her Propeller Tables for Knoll, and a collection of accessories sold exclusively through the Museum of Modern Art. Emanuela has also served as a visiting faculty member at Parsons School of Design and as guest critic at Yale University School of Architecture. Her architectural and design work has been widely published in the United States and Europe. With an MA in architecture from the Milan Politecnico, she also holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and is LEED accredited.
Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
Open to the Public
Interpreter Requested?
Yes