There are those who relish simplicity.
For others, it is opulence that moves them.
For me, it is the rarer intersection of when simple is opulent.
Quiet beauty. Regal elegance.
And then there is the notion of elegance refined as intellectual elegance.
Articulated so perfectly by Massimo Vignelli.
MV: When I talk about elegance, I mean intellectual elegance. Elegance of the mind.
DM: How would you define elegance of the mind?
MV: I would define intellectual elegance as a mind that is continually refining itself with education and knowledge.
Intellectual elegance is the opposite of intellectual vulgarity.
We all know vulgarity very well.
Elegance is the opposite.
DM: I have to ask: What would you consider to be vulgar?
MV: Vulgarity is something underneath culture and education. Anything that is not refined.
DM: Why do you think people are fascinated by vulgarity?
MV: Because it is easier to absorb.
Elegance is about education and refinement, and it is a by-product of a continual search for the best and for the sublime.
And it is a continuous refusal of indulging in anything that is vulgar. It’s a job.
Vignelli then offers an articulate definition of what design is really about:
It is to decrease the amount of vulgarity in the world.
It is to make the world a better place to be.
But everything is relative.
There is a certain amount of latitude between what is good, what is elegant, and what is refined that can take many, many manifestations.
It doesn’t have to be one style. We’re not talking about style, we’re talking about quality.
Style is tangible, quality is intangible.
I am talking about creating for everything that surrounds us a level of quality.
-Massimo Vignelli with Debbie Milman / Design Matters
