Eddie Opera is a renowned designer who began his own design firm, the Map Office, and went on to be the first black partner to join Pentagram. Opera was born in 1972 in Wandsworth, London during the time that the Labour Party was in office. Because the government struggled with serious economic issues, money was scarce and the British were fearful of aspects of their life being taken away- such as education and health services. Despite this fend-for-yourself mentality, Opara’s mother taught him the value of collaboration, sharing what you do and have as a person, in addition to having a purpose aside from earning money. His mother, a nurse, and father, working in the advertisement industry, were extremely hard workers who pushed Opara and his siblings to have a similar dedication. Eddie Opara attended the London College of Printing and then Yale University, where he received his MFA for graphic design. From there, he began as a designer at ATG and Imaginary Forces, and then went on to become a senior designer at 2x4. In 2005, he established his own studio, the Map Office. The Map Office specialized in design, strategy and technology. He emphasized the importance of being an ‘all-rounder;’ being able to work with every type of medium including coding, animation, and printing. At the beginning, Opara ran the business out of his own house in Brooklyn, with one employee. However, he got to a point where he needed more help, and from a business perspective, missed the leadership and collaboration aspect you can get through a larger company. In 2010, Opara was called to do a lecture at Pentagram. Shortly after, he was asked to become a partner for the company. It was a big leap of faith, a financial investment and something completely new, however the opportunity was once of a lifetime. As the son of two Nigerian immigrants, Opara became the first black partner at Pentagram at the young age of 38. When asked about joining Pentagram in an interview, he said, “I definitely think it’s a big deal for me […] being British and being black.”
The reason I chose Eddie Opera is because of the adversity he has faced, and the ability he has had to transcend these barriers. As both a child of two immigrants, whose first language was not English, and as a black designer, in a pretty much white-washed field, Opera’s bravery and drive is honestly astounding. An interactive and graphic designer, in addition to a self-taught software engineer, Opara’s multidisciplinary range combines an impressive graphic eye and technology-based skills. According to Pentagram, Eddie was the perfect partner for their company- he brought diversity via his thinking, exceptional design abilities, and background. Opara is a member of Platform, which aims to encourage underrepresented designers to work as entrepreneurs in technology. Opara’s fearlessness to enter fields of the unknown and continuous desire to learn, has influenced the Pentagram brand, its employees, and young designers.
Throughout his short time in the field, Opara has worked with brands such as Prada, Samsung, and Fast Company, in addition to creating works for Opera Winfrey and the Andy Warhol Foundation. Some of his most well-known projects are included below:
Book Design for the New York Society of Security Analysis
Sources Cited
Behance, Inc. “Eddie Opara: On Criticism Versus Trolling, Fragmentation of Design, and Joining Pentagram.” Adobe 99U, 5 May 2020, 99u.adobe.com/articles/63542/eddie-opara-on-criticism-versus-trolling-fragmentation-of-design-and-joining-pentagram.
“Eddie Opara.” Design Lecture Series, designlectur.es/events/eddie-opara/.
“Eddie Opara.” Pentagram, www.pentagram.com/about/eddie-opara.
“Insights 2010: Eddie Opara.” GD 203, go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/?p=18005.
Walker, Alissa. “Exclusive: Pentagram's Newest Partner Is Eddie Opara [Video].” Fast Company, Fast Company, 10 July 2018, www.fastcompany.com/1662252/exclusive-pentagrams-newest-partner-is-eddie-opara-video.
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