IAN ADELMAN

Ian Adelman is the Design Director of the New York Media websites nymag.com and menupages.com, where he leads the conception and execution of visual design and user experience of digital products. Under his direction, nymag.com has been widely recognized for its thoughtful and energetic visual expression of the New York Magazine brand online.

Prior to joining nymag.com, Adelman spent several years as an independent design and user experience consultant and illustrator, working across digital and print media. During that time, he says he applied his love of problem-solving to everything from rich software and web applications to motion graphics, logotypes, album covers, and hand-made typographic illustrations. Earlier, Adelman worked for Microsoft, first designing interactive television prototypes and then an online magazine; he was the founding Art Director of Slate.com, launched by Microsoft in June 1996. Adelman holds a BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and is a board member of the New York chapter of the AIGA.

Where were you born, where do you live, did this effect your design style or sensibilities? I've been in New York for about 11 years —before that: Seattle, Providence, rural Maine . . . location has had little effect my design approach. There have been many other influences, but ultimately I have my parents to thank. A scientist and a painter, they were both makers and raised me in a creative environment.

If you were not a designer, what would you be? What I love about design — the process of observing, participating, learning, and then ultimately transforming things and ideas to make them more effective, easier to understand, or enjoyable — is not owned by those who call themselves "designers." I would be a designer regardless of my occupation. If you cornered me, though, I might say mathematician.

What is your design process, do you sketch first, go to the computer, take days off to get inspired? Sketch. I really try to avoid the computer as long as possible.

What is one thing you have done to help weather the economic downturn? I just keep trying to make good work; I'm grateful that I continue to have the opportunity to do so, especially with my great team here in New York.

What is your greatest strength and weakness as a designer? My greatest strength is probably inquisitiveness — approaching projects and challenges with openness and enthusiasm for collaboration and discovery. The thing I'm really not great at— in spite of how important I believe it is — is follow-through with the small details that really tie a project up and make a design sing.

YOUR DESIGN HERO?
Benjamin Franklin, Chris Vermaas, Achilles G. Rizzoli

WORST HABIT?
Procrastination

FAVORITE COLOR?
Magenta

FAVORITE TYPEFACE?
Peignot

FAVORITE TV SHOWS?
Freaks and Geeks, The Muppet Show, 30 Rock, Mad Men

FAVORITE BOOKS?
Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich; The Elements of Style by Strunk & White; A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

FAVORITE MOVIES?
Delicatessen, Mallrats, Do the Right Thing

FAVORITE MUSIC?
Top records of 2009: Touchdown by Brakes; Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do by Major Lazer; Man on the Moon by Kid Cudi

FAVORITE FINE ARTIST?
Ed Ruscha, Tom Sachs

FAVORITE GADGET?
Rega P3 turntable

BOOKMARKED WEBSITES?
daringfireball.net, Library of Congress Digital Collections

BEST GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
My first bicycle; a Spirit of '76 Huffy

ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT?
My hands

ONE THING YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT?
Aside from my family: curiosity

TALENT YOU WISH YOU POSSESSED?
An ability to recall names