Michael Bierut was born in Cleveland, Ohio and studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. Prior to joining Pentagram as a partner in 1990, he was vice president of graphic design at Vignelli Associates.

At Pentagram, Michael is responsible for leading a team of graphic designers who create identity design, environmental graphic design and editorial design solutions. He has won hundreds of design awards and his work is represented in several permanent collections including: the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); the Denver Art Museum; the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, Germany; and the Museum für Gestaltung in Zürich, Switzerland.

Michael has been very active in the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), having served as the president of the New York Chapter from 1988 to 1990 and as the president of AIGA National from 1998 to 2001. He currently serves as a director of the Architectural League of New York and of New Yorkers for Parks. In 1989, Michael was elected to the Alliance Graphique Internationale, in 2003 he was named to the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he received the profession's highest honor, the AIGA Medal, in recognition of his distinguished achievements and contributions to the field. In 2008 he received the Design Mind Award in the National Design Awards presented by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Michael is a senior critic in graphic design at the Yale School of Art and is a co-editor of the anthology series Looking Closer: Critical Writings on Graphic Design and a co-founder of the online journal Design Observer. His commentaries about graphic design in everyday life can be heard nationally on the Public Radio International program "Studio 360." His book Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design was published by Princeton Architectural Press this spring.

Ian Adelman is the Design Director of the New York Media websites: nymag.com and recently acquired (and soon to be redesigned) menupages.com.

Prior to joining NYMag.com, Ian spent several years as an independent consultant, working across media for clients big and small. Whether designing software applications for medical practice management, developing design-driven technology strategies for the retail banking industry, building a website for the US House of Representatives, creating an identity for a non-profit arts organization, illustrating magazine articles, crafting typographic dioramas, or making record covers, Ian brings his love of problem-solving and enthusiasm for the design process.
 
Before all that, he worked at Microsoft, designing interactive television prototypes until the company decided to start an online magazine; Ian was the founding Art Director of Slate.com, launched in June of 1996, where he guided the visual design and user interface for two years. Ian holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he has also been a critic.

Jason Santa Maria is a Graphic Designer from Brooklyn, New York. He's worked for clients such as AIGA, Housing Works, Miramax Films, The New York Stock Exchange, PBS, WordPress, and The United Nations focusing on designing websites that maintain a balance of usability and effective content presentation. He serves as Creative Director for A List Apart, an online magazine for people who make websites, and maintains an award-winning personal website.

After a 7 year stint as the creative director for ivillage.com, is a creative director for Rodale, a global health and wellness company.

For the last three years Paul has worked in a creative product development role for Rodale's magazine Web sites, which include: Men's Health, Women's Health, Runner's World, Bicycling, and Prevention. Other roles include work with Rodale's international partners, custom publishing clients and on the launch of Web exclusive projects.....and he still has time to join our panel October 7th.

Other interactive experience includes director roles at Time Inc. New Media and Voyager, an early pioneer in CD-ROM publisher. Paul got his start as a magazine designer at Health, Town & Country and Sports Illustrated for Kids.

Former Art Director of WIRED magazine, Jeremy is the creative director of the Lifestyle division at CBS interactive which includes Chow.com, Chowhound.com and Urbanbaby.com.

Prior to the jump from print magazines to the web he held positions as a designer at titles such as The Industry Standard, Forbes ASAP, iQ and Infoworld magazines before becoming the art director of WIRED where he was part of leading the title to both SPD Silver and Gold Medal Magazine of the Year wins.

Jeremy studied graphic design and illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.