Michael Bierut

Michael Bierut studied at Normandy High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is graphic design. Work by Michael Bierut is recorded in the collections of Museum of Modern Art and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Distinctions recorded are AIGA Medal.

• Born — 29 August 1957 • Birthplace — Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. • Education — University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning • Spouse — Dorothy Kresz • Occupation — Graphic designer • Employer — Pentagram

Michael Bierut was born in 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother Anne Marie was a housewife, and his father worked in printing press sales. His family lived in Garfield Heights and he attended Saturday morning classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art where he developed his drawing skills. The family moved to the suburb Parma in 1967, and he attended Normandy High School, graduating in 1975. In the ninth grade, Bierut created his first poster for a school play and came to a realization that he wanted to create things with purpose. He also enjoyed album cover art and discovered the book Graphic Design Manual by Armin Hofmann and Milton Glaser: Graphic Design. He studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) as a result of these influences. While in school, he interned for three months for Chris Pullman, an AIGA medalist and a Yale professor, at a Boston public television station, WGBH. In late summer of 1978, after completing the internship, Bierut travelled from Boston to New York City and shared his portfolio with Massimo Vignelli of Vignelli Associates, and was offered a job on the spot. Bierut graduated in 1980 from DAAP with a bachelors of science in graphic design and moved to New York City to work for Vignelli a week later.

After his graduation in 1980, Bierut began working for Vignelli Associates in New York. At the time, the studio didn't have a computer or fax machine and Bierut was responsible for creating mechanical boards by hand. He credits his youthful exuberance in staying up late for the progress he made as a designer while working for Vignelli. He also learned that people don't always read a company's printed materials and strived to create engaging work that people would want to read. Speaking about his relationship with the Vignellis, Bierut said "I learned an enormous amount from Massimo about how to be a good designer. But I learned how to be a successful designer from Lella." He worked at the studio for 10 years, eventually becoming vice president.

In 1990, Bierut became a partner in the New York office of Pentagram after a discussion with partner Woody Pirtle. At Pentagram, he has championed the democratization of design to make his design work easily digestable to the viewer. Bierut's frequent incorporation of the Helvetica font, known for its legibility and ubiquity, has become a symbol of his projects at Pentagram. At Pentagram, Bierut has had numerous clients such as Alliance for Downtown New York, Benetton, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Alfred A. Knopf, the Walt Disney Company, Mohawk Paper Mills, MillerCoors, the Toy Industry Association, Princeton University, Yale School of Architecture, New York University, the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Museum of Sex, and the New York Jets. Michael Bierut has done projects like I Want To Take You Higher, an exhibition on the psychedelic era for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has served as a design consultant to United Airlines. In 2006, he developed a new signage and identity for the expanded Morgan Library Museum. He has also developed the environmental graphics for the New York Times building, designed for Phillip Johnson's Glass House, and redesigned the magazine The Atlantic. Along with that, he has created marketing strategies for William Jefferson Clinton Foundation and developed a new brand strategy and packaging for Saks Fifth Avenue. Prior to the 2016 Presidential election, he worked with Pentagram designer Jesse Reed to create the logo for Hillary Clinton's campaign, emphasizing its simplicity and boldness to make it memorable. Upon the release of the design, many designers, journalists, and constituents were critical of it but as the campaign released its customizable aspects it was better received, like after the landmark LGBT civil rights case Obergefell v. Hodges it was swathed in rainbow colors. He later recommended former student Jennifer Kinon as the campaign's design director. Bierut and his team at Pentagram collaborated with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects to create a typographic architectural installation at the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Entitled You Are America, the artwork, wrapping two sides of the building, renders an excerpt from Obama's 2015 Selma speech in five-foot-tall concrete letters made using a customized version of Gotham, Obama’s presidential campaign font. In early 2025, after 35 years at Pentagram, Bierut reduced his role at the company to part-time consulting partner and advisor. In an interview with Creative Factor he stated that he no longer leads a design team or runs his own projects, only providing assistance and guidance to other Pentagram partners.

In 1993, he became a lecturer in graphic design at the Yale School of Art and was later appointed senior critic. In 2016, he joined the Yale School of Management to integrate design thinking into the program. In 2003, Bierut co-founded Design Observer with Jessica Helfand, Rick Poynor, and William Drenttel, an online publication featuring news, features, and essays on design, urbanism, innovation and pop culture. His influence extends beyond design circles and his commentary can be found on public radio, appearing on “Studio 360” with Kurt Andersen. Dwell also works with him for design book recommendations and Fast Company asks for his opinions on corporate branding, and he writes articles on design for the New York Times. Bierut also has a long-running history with Design Indaba where he spoke at 2005, 2010 and 2015 conference.

Bierut resides in Tarrytown, New York.

Michael Bierut is recorded as having received AIGA Medal.