Michael Benincasa

Michael Benincasa knows a well-executed design when they see one. Meet the juror judging 2026's best designs on craft, clarity, and real-world relevance.
Best Designs Judge 2026Founder and Chief Creative Officer
2026 Jury Member

Michael Benincasa

Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Mercury Project DesignUnited States

Michael Benincasa is founder and chief creative officer of Mercury Project Design, a branding, retail design and experiential design agency. In more than 25 years in the field, he has worked on projects for Warner Bros., Neiman Marcus, Disney, Verizon Wireless and I Love Sugar.

His work has been recognized by Shop! Marketplace, C-Store Decisions, VMSD and Chain Store Age. Benincasa's experience covers brand strategy, identity, environmental design and retail architecture.

Before founding Mercury Project Design, he held senior creative and strategy roles at JGA in Detroit, GH&A in Montreal and VGS in New York, where he was creative director, executive retail strategist and vice president of retail design and strategy.