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Giovanni Pintori

Giovanni Pintori was born in Sardinia in 1912 and became one of the most influential European graphic designers of the 20th century. He became known for the distinctive style he crafted into Olivetti’s design language for over 30 years.

Pintori studied design at Italy’s influential Higher Institute for Artistic Industries, where he met the advertising director and publicist who headed Olivetti’s advertising department and went to work there after graduating. He became the company’s art director in 1950.

Olivetti manufactured business machines, most famously its range of typewriters. Its products were recognisable, and every detail of its designs—from the shape of a spacebar to the colour of its outer casings was carefully considered.

Creativity was an essential part of the company’s culture, which was evident from the architecture of its factories and offices to the graphic design used to promote its products. Over his 30-year career at Olivetti, Pintori designed the company’s advertising, brochures, and even their annual calendars.

Pintori’s aesthetic style was bold and confident. He used bright colours from minimal colour palettes and combined them with shapes to fill his designs with energy. But Pintori’s work wasn’t just playful. His choices of shapes weren’t abstract. They were thoughtful.

His shapes suggest the benefits of using a product rather than literally describing its features. He didn’t just illustrate Olivetti’s products; Pintori brought them to life through his graphic designs by suggesting how they might be used and what they could do to enhance people’s lives and work.

Pintori’s work is inspiring not only because of the boldness of his colourful shapes but because of what they represent. He understood that promoting a product requires more than just listing features. Publicity should tell a story that resonates with customers. That’s a lesson we can all be inspired by. Even though Giovanni Pintori worked in a different medium long before the web, there’s plenty we can learn from his work.