Michael Bierut: Designing by Hand
This session of Futurespaces in sponsored by: PIXERA by AV Stumpfl
About the Talk
Nearly 55 years ago, high school student Michael Bierut published his first piece of graphic design, a silk-screened poster based on artwork he created with a felt-tipped pen and a piece of cardboard. His career since then has included ten years working for design legend Massimo Vignelli, and over 35 years as a partner in the international design consultancy Pentagram.
Over those those five decades he has created logos for Mastercard, Verizon, MIT Media Lab and the Wildlife Conservation Society; the signage for the New York Times Headquarters Building; the graphic program for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign; and the inscription on the main tower of the Obama Presidential Library.
As he approaches 70, Michael will reflect on his life in design, what’s changed and — more importantly — what hasn’t.
About our Speaker
Michael Bierut is a graphic designer with nearly fifty years of experience. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, he began his career with Lella and Massimo Vignelli, where he worked for a decade and became Vice President for Graphic Design. In 1990, he became a partner at Pentagram in New York, working with clients including Mastercard, Slack, Verizon, Disney, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and MIT Media Lab. His work includes the “H” logo for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the typographic inscription for the Obama Presidential Center. Since October 2024, he has served as an advisor to Pentagram.
Bierut has received many of the profession’s highest honors, including the AIGA Medal and a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. He has taught at Yale University, where he created the widely adopted “100 Days Project,” and was the Henry Wolf Resident in Graphic Design at the American Academy in Rome. He is a co-founder of Design Observer and the author of several influential, widely translated books on design.
About Our Sponsor: PIXERA by AV Stumpfl
PIXERA by AV Stumpfl is a powerful real time media server platform for immersive installations, live events, and themed environments. Developed by Austrian manufacturer AV Stumpfl, Pixera unifies playback, compositing, and show control in a single ecosystem. Its timeline based workflow supports precise synchronization across projection mapping, LED walls, and multi display systems, delivering a scalable and reliable solution for professional audiovisual productions worldwide.
About Futurespaces
Founded and led by Josh Goldblum (Bluecadet) Futurespaces offers live webinars and in-person tours that provide valuable insights into the creative process of creating contemporary experiences.