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O B S E R V A T I O N S : The Pyramid
It is said that, in the early 60’s in Milan, Massimo Vignelli and Giulio Cittato kept 25 young designers busy implementing their designs. This top-down Pyramid structure of a design office was a direct reflection of the master/apprentice relationship adapted from the Italian Renaissance that began in the 14th century. The only real difference between today’s Pyramid structured design office is that in the Renaissance; parents paid the masters to take-on their children. Today’s novice/intern is paid little or nothing for the experience of associating with their “masters.”
This symbiotic relationship delivers a direct benefit to beginning designers by providing them with a learning-bridge; helping them understand how to apply what they’ve learned in college. The principal of the design office gains relatively inexpensive arms and legs to implement their ideas, even though a great deal of time and supervision is required to maintain the quality of the work produced. The clients benefit by receiving quality work without the additional expense needed to attract and retain an experienced design staff. The disadvantage to the Pyramid structured design office is that frequent turnover is built into the equation. Young people soon want an opportunity to work directly with clients; to present and implement their own solutions. However, the real hidden benefit to beginners, principals and clients is that the energy and enthusiasm of a younger staff bring new ideas, unburdened by self-censorship, into an environment that could become lethargic by doing the expected.
A Pyramid’s shadow, like mountains along the Mediterranean, produces fertile soil that stimulates exceptional growth.