The graphic identity of the Venice International Film Festival is well known, but few are aware that it is the work of GraphX, the design studio that has been involved with it continuously since 2007. GraphX was an offshoot of Lissoni Associati, set up in 1986 by the architect and designer Piero Lissoni and Nicoletta Canesi. Lissoni Architettura and Lissoni inc. (with offices in New York) are also part of the same Lissoni group.
With its work in architecture, interior design and graphics, the Lissoni group is truly multidisciplinary. Most of their 70 staff and associates work in the group’s bright, spacious offices in Via Goito, Milan. Here, web and graphic designers, rendering experts, industrial and interior designers and architects, all work together across several floors.
This creative world attracts young professionals from around the globe, and Piero Lissoni is at its centre. With a degree in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic, Lissoni – who turned 60 last year – is renowned among Italian architects and designers for his ambition and innovation. His work has received international recognition – he is a three-time winner of the Good Design prize, awarded by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture, and the Red Dot Award as well as the Golden Compass of the ADI (the Italian association of industrial designers). He is creative director of industrial wood company Alpi, sofa specialists Living Divani and furniture companies Lema and Porro, among others. Lissoni also designs products and exhibitions for these companies, as well as for other brands such as Alessi (products), Flos (lighting), Golran (carpeting), Salvatori (stone) and contemporary furniture company Knoll International.