Vignelli Center for Design Studies | Vignelli Center

Important Notice

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies will be closed for infrastructure improvements beginning 17 February 2025. Anticipated completion is August 2025. Access to the galleries, physical archives and scheduled open houses is cancelled for the duration of the project but the Vignelli Design Conversations lectures remain as scheduled. For questions regarding the archives, email Archivist Jennifer Whitlock. For any other questions regarding the Vignelli Center’s activities email Director Josh Owen.

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies is a hub of research, education, and creative inspiration that houses over 750,000 artifacts across all fields of design. Iconic works by Lella and Massimo Vignelli are featured at the heart of our collection and their legacy forms the foundation of design excellence and innovation that the Vignelli Center celebrates today.

Massimo and Lella Vignelli with R. Roger Remington standing in the Vignelli Archives

Interior view of a design exhibition with a variety of graphic design posters hanging in the cente.

A group of people in casual attire engaged in a discussion in a hallway.

Metal storage shelves in a room filled with various monochromatic design items and printed materials.

A speaker presenting to an audience with a large projection screen displaying an image of a product behind him.

Group of students standing looking at professor Josh Owen and the Vignelli Archive

Explore The Archives

The Vignelli Center for Design Studies is a hub of research, education, and creative inspiration that houses over 750,000 artifacts across all fields of design.

Vignelli Archive

Special Collections

Shelving units in a storage room filled with various design objects and furniture pieces.

Shelf with neatly arranged gray binders labeled 'Product Timecapsule' alongside cardboard boxes.

Take a Virtual Tour

The two-story Benetton Galleries are now available virtually and feature work from the design archives of Lella and Massimo Vignelli.

Launch Tour

Exhibition space with displays of subway maps and graphic design artifacts.

Gallery interior with wooden display cases and graphic design exhibits on the walls.

Display cases on wooden pedestals showcasing elegant glassware and silver teapots in an exhibition.

Modern room with large windows and a selection of contemporary chairs and tables on display.

Watch our Lectures

Visit the archive of our Vignelli Center Design Conversations lecture series as well as other content on our YouTube page.

Browse Videos

Latest Events

September 5

DESIGN x GLASS Exhibition
September 15

Vignelli Center Lecture: David Rosenwasser and Jeremy Bilotti
October 29

Film Screening/Lecture with Celia Bertoia

See All Events

Latest News

April 1, 2025

Speaking to a new generation of industrial designers

Rarify talks to Josh Owen, RIT Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design, as he shares his advice for the next generation of industrial designers.
February 12, 2025

Interdisciplinary collaborations drive innovation in cultural heritage preservation

RIT’s interdisciplinary collaborations enrich research across the university and beyond. Two of these collaborative projects recently received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of a total $22.6 million in grants given to support humanities projects across the nation.
January 15, 2025

Collaboration and creativity: Student duo shines in design competition

Aiden Spicer and Jaydon Thompson, second-year industrial design students, leaned on one another while designing their own dinner tabletop pieces for the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Collab Student Design Competition.
December 12, 2024

Designers leave nothing on the table during the Beyond Fashion showcase

Decked out with technicolor lights and vibrant animated displays, RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios soundstage became a runway last week during Beyond Fashion. The rainbow runway featured a diverse collection of garments and wearables crafted by local designers and RIT students across multiple disciplines.