Marcello Minale
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Marcello Minale (December 15, 1938 – December 30, 2000) was a world-renowned Italian designer, writer and a former international
oarsman Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically att ...
.


Early life

Marcello Minale was born into an Italian naval family in
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
in 1938, the son of a colonial administrator and former naval captain who became a local city mayor in Aziziya, Libya.


Education and formative influences

After studying art and architecture at the Technical Institute of
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, Minale won his first assignments for an architectural magazine in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and for a Scandinavian company in charge of interior design and
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
in Rome. Minale worked briefly for the
Young & Rubicam VMLY&R was an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the 2020 mer ...
advertising agency in Rome before moving to
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
in 1961 to be part of the golden age of
Scandinavian design Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality that emerged in the early 20th century, and subsequently flourished in the 1950s throughout the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sw ...
working firstly as a designer for Taucker and then as
Art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
for Mackkinointi Uiherjuuri – both Finnish advertising agencies. It was at the Industrial Design School in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
where Minale was introduced to Scandinavian Modernism – amongst his seminal influences were the Finnish designers
Tapio Wirkkala Tapio Veli Ilmari Wirkkala (2 June 1915 – 19 May 1985) was a Finnish designer and sculptor, a major figure of post-war design. Life and work Wirkkala was born in Hanko in 1915. He attended the Töölö co-educational school in Helsinki. His f ...
and
Alvar Aalto Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (; 3 February 1898 – 11 May 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, see ...
whose style was a world away from the Baroque Italian household in which he had grown up.


Work

In 1962, Minale came to Britain to work as a designer in London, again for
Young & Rubicam VMLY&R was an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the 2020 mer ...
and met his future partner Brian Tattersfield. Two years later, the duo formed Minale Tattersfield during a period that coincided with a new generation of young London design firms including
Wolff Olins Wolff Olins is a global brand consultancy agency that specialises in corporate identity. It was founded in 1965 in London, where its main office is still based, as well as having offices in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It emplo ...
and Fletcher/Forbes/Gill. These fledgling firms were jettisoning the old commercial-artist tradition in favour of a more simple and pared-down style of
visual communication Visual communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which include (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, and electronic resourc ...
much influenced by
Bill Bernbach William Bernbach (August 13, 1911 – October 2, 1982) was an American advertising creative director. He was one of the three founders in 1949 of the international advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). He directed many of the firm's breakt ...
in New York. Minale made sure his fledgling design firm got noticed. The firm even introduced its own
corporate logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in a ...
– the "Scribble", a loose, free-form, pencil-drawn counterblast to the formal graphic conventions of the time. With Tattersfield the quieter foil to Minale's exuberant frontman, the partnership swiftly prospered. Its client list grew to include:
Thames TV Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...
,
Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
, London Transport,
British Airports Authority Heathrow Airport Holdings is a company that operates and manages Heathrow Airport based in London, England. It was formed by the privatisation of the British Airports Authority as BAA plc as part of Margaret Thatcher's privatisation of governme ...
, Nestle,
Harrods Harrods is a Listed building, Grade II listed luxury department store on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It was designed by C. W. Stephens for Charles Digby Harrod, and opened in 1905; it replaced the first store on the ground ...
,
NatWest National Westminster Bank, trading as NatWest, is a major Retail banking, retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the Corporate merger, merger of National Provincial Bank and We ...
,
Armani Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
,
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
,
Eurostar Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service in Western Europe, connecting Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The service is operated by the Eurostar Group which was formed from the merger of Eurostar, ...
,
Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...
,
International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global Sports governing body, governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. In 1965, the body wa ...
,
Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
and many more.


Design establishment contribution

Minale contributed widely to the British design community, helping to launch and fund
Blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842. The process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...
, and over the years became a mentor to many young designers. A favorite phrase of his was ''“keep moving”'', and his energy, thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit inspired many who worked with him. Minale was President of
D&AD Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. ...
between 1981–2 and a Fellow of the
Chartered Society of Designers The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) is a professional body for designers. It is the only Royal Chartered body of experienced designers. Its membership is multi-disciplinary – representing designers in all design, disciplines including I ...
. Minale also contributed to the design establishment as an author and was published a variety of books on
visual identity A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public. The corporate identity is typically visualized by branding and with the use of trademarks, but it can also i ...
,
branding Branding may refer to: Physical markings * Making a mark, typically by charring: ** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.) ** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...
and the business of design including the only design-led book looking at the modern service station. He also devoted time and energy to writing and to illustrating four children's books. In his obituary Marcello Minale was described by Jeremy Myerson in
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
as 'one of British commercial design's most colourful and original practitioners' and 'a man of wide interests whose flair and expertise put him at the forefront of British design for three decades.'


Awards

Minale Tattersfield has received more than 300 international awards for design creativity and design effectiveness. They include: 13 Silver awards from the
D&AD Design and Art Direction (D&AD), formerly known as British Design and Art Direction, is a British educational organisation that was created in 1962 to promote excellence in design and advertising. Its main offices are in Spitalfields in London. ...
– the prestigious President's Award for outstanding contribution to British Design, and 3 Gold awards from
Art Directors Club of New York The Art Directors Club of New York is an organization for art directors in New York City. It was founded in 1920, and has grown as an industry group, promoting art directors' work through exhibitions and awards, including the annual DESI award fo ...
. In 2012 Minale was named eighth most awarded designer of the last five decades by the D&AD with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement: Designer Award.


Personal life

Away from design, Minale's two great passions were his family and his rowing: * Minale was twice married: first in 1963 (source: freebmd.org.uk) (dissolved 1974), to Ebba Oljemark, with whom he had a son, Marcello; and second in 1975, to Roberta Broadbridge, with whom he had two sons Manlio, a brand consultant and Massimo, who is studying architecture at Cambridge. * An international medal winner in rowing at the 1956 European Championships,Later to become the World Championships Minale's love of the sport remained firm, becoming the chairman and President of the
Tideway Scullers School Tideway Scullers School is a rowing club on the Tideway of the River Thames next to Chiswick Bridge in Chiswick, London. The club previously held the headship for the Head of the River Race (2009), the largest UK eights event, and the senior s ...
between 1995 and 2000.


Published works


Design books


How to design a successful petrol station
Booth-Clibborn Editions, 2000 ()
How to Keep on Running a Successful Design Company
Booth Clibborn Editions, 1999 ()

() Booth-Clibborn Editions, 1998
How to Run & Run a Successful Multidisciplinary Design Company
Internos Books, 1996 ()
The Leader of the Pack
Elfande, 1993 () * Minale Tattersfield Creative Unit, 1965 (ASIN: B001P534KC)
The Image Maker: Biography of Minale Tattersfield
Booth-Clibborn Editions, 1995 ()
Design: The World of Minale Tattersfield
Booth Clibborn Editions, 1990 ()
The Best of British Corporate Design
Booth Clibborn Editions, (), 1989
Best of British Packaging
Booth Clibborn Editions, 1988
Design a la Minale Tattersfield
Booth Clibborn Editions, 1986/7


Children's books


Tomo the Water Dragon
Dobson Books Ltd, 1977 ()
The Black Pencil
Dobson Books Ltd, 1974 ()
Tree That Couldn't Fly
Dobson Books Ltd, 1972 ()
Creatures Great and Small
1965 (ASIN B000K6JR5I)


Design work


Furniture, industrial and interior design

* 'MTP 1' chair designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. for MTP Furniture, 1972. (VADS

* 'Grid' armchair with frame designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. for MTP Furniture, 1972

* Ceramic wall tiles designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. for Cedit, Italy, 1969

* Bench for use on underground station platforms. Designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. as part of proposals for the modernisation of Northern Line stations for London Transport, c. 1977. (VADS

* Various furniture designs by Marcello Minal

* Shower system designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. for Aqualisa, 1978. (VADS

* Base of knock-down table designed by Minale Tattersfield & Partners Ltd. for Zanotta (company), Zanotta, 197

* Cast iron road signs for Much Wenlock in Shropshire, commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, 1977 (VADS

* Posters and other examples of graphic design with chairs and tables designed for Zanotta, MTP Furniture and Cubic Metre Furniture. 198


Posters

* Mural/wall panels with cricket ball motif for the Oval underground station, c. 1977. (VADS

* British Airports at The Design Center, Museum of Modern Art (poster), 1980 (MoMA

* Milton Keynes will be good for your healt

poster, 1973 (V&A) * Milton Keynes. The kind of city you'll want your family to grow up in (poster), 1973 (V&

* Where is Milton Keynes? (poster), 1973 (V&A

* Milton Keynes. A new city comes to life (poster), 1972 (V&A

*Milton Keynes: The City's Future (poster), 1970 (V&A

*Cubic Metre (poster), (V&A


References


External links

* Minale Tattersfield's official websit

* Logo Designers – Marcello Minal

* In 1988, Michael Bryce joined with design consultants Marcello Minale and Brian Tattersfield in London to form Minale Tattersfield Bryce and Partners becoming an international partner of the Minale Tattersfield Design Strategy Group working across corporate identity, branding and urban design. DF: 105KB

* IDEA NO.78 : Five Young Designer

* The Best Designs Never Seen, RED, The Design Council, September 16, 200

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minale, Marcello 1938 births Logo designers British graphic designers Italian graphic designers 2000 deaths Deaths by stabbing in France