“We need to speak up and this is our moment to do that”: Pentagram partner Eddie Opara on how design can be activism

Eddie Opara is a designer that needs no introduction. Pentagram partner and senior critic at the Yale University School of Art (amongst many other things), Eddie rounded off September’s Nicer Tuesdays with a whopping creative talk. He started out by sharing how he became a designer, providing a whistle-stop tour of what’s influenced him thus far, starting with the importance of Nigerian culture. Later explaining why he doesn’t believe that design is just about solving problems, Eddie went on to discuss a recent project, re—inc, a lifestyle brand established by the US Women’s Nation Teal footballers Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press, Tobin Heath and Meghan Klingenberg.

Diving deep into the detailed branding project, the Pentagram partner explained how re—inc wants to reshape narratives and have an impact on society. In turn, its ethos, not to mention the visual identity, needed to be a “visual antithesis of the norm”, switching up conventions in an accessible yet stylistic way. Expressed predominantly through the use of the reverse “e” throughout the branding, Eddie concluded the online event with a powerful contemplation on design as activism. Watch the full, inspiring talk above.