Born in 1931, Massimo Vignelli was first introduced to the all-encompassing world of design through the architecture office of Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, where he worked as a draftsman at the age of sixteen. He studied architecture in Milan and Venice and shortly thereafter expanded his professional interests to include graphic design. In 1965, he immigrated to the United States and co-founded Unimark International Corporation. That same year, he was appointed head of graphic design and advertising for Knoll International.

Lella Vignelli (née Valle) was born in Udine, Italy in 1934. She studied architecture in Udine and Venice before receiving a fellowship at MIT. She worked in the interiors department at Skidmore Owings & Merrill for two years before returning (with Massimo) to Milan when her visa expired. Back in Italy, Lella created showroom interiors and exhibition displays for several companies, including Olivetti.

In 1960, Massimo and Lella Vignelli opened the Lella and Massimo Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milan, expanding their practice to the United States just five years later. They established Vignelli Associates in New York in 1971 and focused on multifaceted projects from industrial and furniture design to graphic design and corporate branding and much more. Throughout their prolific careers, the duo, both together and individually, influenced many designers around the globe.