Farewell to graphic designer Bob Noorda - the legend of logos

Designer Bob Noorda was a visionary of graphic functionality. He was instrumental in the graphics for the underground rail maps in Milan, New York and Sao Paulo, all of which remain unchanged to this very day.

His designs for Alfa Romeo, the La Rinascente luxury department store and Pirelli established his status as a creator of wonderful and timeless designs. Sadly, Italy-based Bob has passed away at 82 years of age. We would like to show why he won’t be forgotten.

Born in Amsterdam, 1927, he studied at the Bauhaus-influenced Institut vor Kunstnijverheidsonderwijs, now known as the Geriet Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. His move to Milan in 1954, as well as the financial boom and the cultural climate provided him with the opportunity of using his signature style for the most influential companies: these included energy giants Agip, Total and Enel, Olivetti machines, the Ermenegildo Zegna fashion house and the Italiano touring club.

In 1965, he founded the Unimark International Corporation for Design and Marketing with Massimo Vignelli. The signage of the New Yorker Subway as we know it today came about through this fruitful partnership.

Bob Noorda worked with his wife Ornella until his very last days, under the company name of Noorda Design. In addition to client commissions, he taught at the Venice School of Industrial Design, Umanitaria of Milan, ISIA in Urbino and the Milanese Polytechnic, where he was made honorary Doctor of Industrial Design in 2005.

‘When I design a brand logo’, he explained, ‘I always consider the cultural aspect – not just the commercial. And I try to design imagery which is timeless.’

The ‘Architect of Logos’ passed away on 11 January. His work will continue to thrive for many decades to come.