Abstract: The Art of Design

From New Yorker covers to Instagram sketches, illustrator Christoph Niemann plays with abstraction and interactivity -- and questions authenticity.

Tinker Hatfield's background in architecture and athletics sparked his game-changing shoe designs for Nike, including the iconic Air Jordan series.

Stage designer Es Devlin crafts evocative sets for concerts, operas, plays and runway shows using light, film, sculpture -- and even rain.

Architect Bjarke Ingels unites function, fantasy and sustainability in "pragmatic utopian" designs like a clean power plant topped with a ski slope.

As Fiat Chrysler's global head of design, Ralph Gilles steers the brand into the future with sleek new sports cars and a self-driving electric van.

Graphic designer Paula Scher paints with words, developing the visual language of iconic brands and institutions around the world.

Platon's fearless portraits capture the souls of world leaders and ordinary people. A shoot with Gen. Colin Powell provides a window into his process.

Interior designer Ilse Crawford creates spaces and objects that engage the senses and promote well-being, from high-end hotels to Ikea furniture.

Olafur Eliasson creates sensory-rich immersive installations, including a lamp-lit sun at the Tate Modern and chunks of Arctic ice on city streets.

Can we design our way out of an ecological crisis? At the MIT Media Lab, professor Neri Oxman cultivates new materials that emulate nature.

A visual storyteller and frequent Spike Lee collaborator, Ruth E. Carter won an Oscar for her Afrofuturistic costume design for "Black Panther".

As founder of toy company Heroes Will Rise, Cas Holman crafts tools and objects designed to inspire kids (and adults) to play creatively.

On the heels of leading influential projects for Nike and Instagram, Ian Spalter explains the process of experimenting with new product designs.

While researching vintage watches as inspiration for a new font, Jonathan Hoefler delves into his work for Apple, Obama's "Change" campaign and more.