Penelope Malish

Penelope is an award-winning graphic designer, educator and entrepreneur who has owned and operated a graphic-design firm in Philadelphia since 1980. A B.F.A. graduate of the University of the Arts, Penelope became a faculty member there in 1979 and, in five years, taught graphic design and print production to more than 400 students. She is an internationally recognized and frequently consulted expert on print production, having designed, for James River Paper Company, the program that was used to test the printability of uncoated paper before it is released to market. Her work has captured countless awards for excellence, including prestigious awards from the national and local American Institute of Graphic Artists, the Art Directors Club of Philadelphia, Print magazine and Graphic Design: USA magazine.

Prior to establishing her first design firm, she was the graphic designer for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development, where she developed her passion for the important work of not-for-profit organizations, many of which are clients of Malish & Pagonis. Her work as a graphic designer for Gray Smith, a community-activist architect, was an experience that indulged her passion for architecture and ultimately led to a portfolio of design projects for major architectural firms.

Demitri Pagonis

Demitri is an award-winning graphic designer. He specializes in design technologies, tools and media, and also excels in traditional print-based design media. A 1993 B.F.A. graduate of the University of the Arts, he has partnered with Penelope Malish since 1998 and has been largely responsible for the firm's extensive portfolio of Web site designs. His portfolio of award-wining work includes newsletters, paper-company marketing materials, annual reports and corporate marketing materials. He has been honored by Graphic Design: USA magazine for excellence in communication and graphic design, and recently was honored by the Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services (SIGUCCS) for his design of the software package that students, faculty and staff of the University of Pennsylvania use.

An owner of an original 128K Macintosh in high school, Demitri proudly embraced the title "geek." Even in 9th grade, he was destined for a career in graphic design. Prior to partnering with Penelope, Demitri worked typesetting mathematics textbooks, a difficult discipline that often demanded innovative technical solutions. His response to any technical challenge is "I can fix that." His response time is the stuff of legend.