Massimo Vignelli had the most impressive design career I've ever encountered. Working with his wife Lella Vignelli, he's created logos for top brands such as American Airlines and Bloomingdale's. He's designed the identity for the New York subway system, designed tables, the interior of a church, kitchen dishes, and much more. He believed in honest, functional design and was not a fan of unnecessary frills. It is well known that he only used around a dozen typefaces max and thought the rest to be utterly useless. You can read more of his design philosophy in his book "The Vignelli Canon" which is available for free on his website.
