1931 February 14 – 2026 September 12
John Vincent Massey was a pioneering graphic designer, artist, and educator whose work helped shape the visual identity of American corporations and the evolution of modern graphic design in Chicago and beyond.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, John studied art and design at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Trinity College, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Over a career spanning more than six decades, John made an extraordinary and lasting contribution to graphic design. His work, distinguished by its intellect, simplicity, and structure, set a standard of excellence in American corporate and civic design.
His early career as an editorial and sports cartoonist led to a pioneering role leading corporate design at Container Corporation of America (CCA). In 1964, he founded the Center for Advanced Research in Design (CARD), widely considered the industry standard for corporate visual and strategic design departments. Behind his leadership, innovative communications programs were developed for a wide range of multinational clients.
Through his independent practice, John collaborated with a diverse roster of corporate, cultural and educational organizations. His memorable posters and banners for the City of Chicago, created in 1967 under the auspices of the Mayor’s Office, remain an important part of his civic design legacy.
A master of color, composition, and form, John helped define the visual style of American Modernism. Inspired by the European methods of the Bauhaus and the Swiss International Style, he sought to infuse these principles into mainstream American corporate and civic design. His work contributed significantly to Chicago’s distinctive modernist design culture, setting the tone for the city’s recognized stature in design history. Equally accomplished as a designer and businessman, he also found fulfillment by painting and printmaking in his free time.
John’s influence extended well beyond his own work. He believed that every design has a life of its own, extending beyond its original purpose. As an educator and mentor, he helped shape generations of designers, instilling a sense of vision and rigor that would carry the discipline forward. His University of Illinois students and colleagues often repeated a phrase that perfectly captured his philosophy: “Be classic or be extraordinary.”
John was a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale; a member of AIGA, where in 1994 he received their highest honor, the AIGA Medal. He was a member of Chicago 27 Designers and the Society of Typographic Arts. He also received honorary doctorates from Art Center College of Design in California and the Rhode Island School of Design.
John’s work has been widely recognized nationally and internationally and is represented in collections throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and New Zealand. These include the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Arts and Design, New York; the Smithsonian Institution; and the Library of Congress, as well as numerous corporate and private collections.
John Massey leaves a legacy of extraordinary design, intellectual rigor, and enduring influence — one that continues to resonate in the work of the designers he inspired and in the visual culture he helped shape.
Memorial by the Massey Family
and Dana Arnett for AGI, Alliance Graphique Internationale
Shared with permission