Helena Koenigsmarková studied Art History at the Charles University in Prague. She has occupied different posts in the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts (UPN), firstly as curator in the department of furniture and metalwork (specialised in pewter, historical toys), secondly since 1989 as deputy director and since 1991 as museum director. She has participated in courses on museum management organized by the Dutch Ministry of Culture and the Czech Association of Museums (AMG) in the period 1991-1998 both as participant and as co-trainer and leaded the Czech Museums group for the MATRA-projects in the period 1998-2001. Koenigsmarová has been active in the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and in the AMG as a member of different boards of culture institutions (National Museum, Academy of Applied Arts, Academy of Performing Arts etc.). She is a member of the honorary board of Designblok Prague and of the working board of the Czech Grand Design Awards. She has conducted research and written articles for exhibitions such as Prague, the Crown of Bohemia (Metropolitan Museum of New York 2005), Biedermeier in Central Europe (Prague Castle 2008, Artel 1908-2008, UPM 2008-9).

Bernhard E. Bürdek, born in 1947, he was one of last students at the Ulm Design School. Since 1971 he is working as a designer, teacher, author and consultant. He is a Professor at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach am Main where he teaches Design Theory, Design Methodology and Strategic Design in the Department of Product Design. He was the Dean from 2001 to 2007. He was guest lecturing in Brazil, Mexico, Rumania and Taiwan; he gave lectures at many places in Europe, USA and Asia. He is the author of many famous publications, e.g. of the authoritative book Design. History, Theory and Practice of Product Design (Köln, 1991- 2nd edition 1994), which has been translated into Italian (1992), Spanish (1994), Dutch (1996) and Chinese (1996). A complete new and revised edition came up in 2005 (German and English), the Portuguese translation was published 2006 by Edgard Blücher at Sao Paolo, the Chinese translation came up 2007 at China Architectural Press/Beijing. The Italian version will come up in autumn 2008.

Glenn Adamson is Deputy Head of Research and Head of Graduate Studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he leads a graduate program in the History of Design. His research interests include 20th century craft and design, furniture and ceramics in England and America in the 17th and 18th centuries, and decorative arts theory. Dr. Adamson is the co-editor of the triannual Journal of Modern Craft, and in 2007 published a full length study entitled Thinking Through Craft (Berg Publishers/V&A Publications). His other publications include Industrial Strength Design: How Brooks Stevens Shaped Your World (MIT Press). Presently he is working on an exhibition about Postmodernism, to be held at the V&A in 2011.

Studio Makkink & Bey BV. Designer Jurgen Bey and architect Rianne Makkink operate Studio Makkink & Bey in Rotterdam since 2002.The studio's many projects are very diverse, and include public space projects, product design, architecture, exhibition design and applied arts. In their work Makkink and Bey investigate issues like the relationship between purpose and shape, design as a bearer of a story, and the relationship between spectators and bearers, designers and commissioners. Bey is senior tutor at the Royal College of Art (Design Products) in London and was guest professor at the Hochschule fur Bildende Kunsten in Karlsruhe. Makkink was guest professor at Ghent University, Belgium and guest tutor at the Berlage institute in Amsterdam and the Technical University in Delft.