In the 1960s and '70s, Emory Douglas oversaw the art direction and production of the official newspaper for the Black Panther party. Using inexpensive and available means of commercial art production, he turned his artwork into a powerful visual megaphone.

Speaking with Edel Rodriguez you hear the recurring theme of freedom. As a boy, the Cuban-born artist, illustrator, designer and art director made his way to Florida on one of the first boats leaving his native land. Freedom.

From Zimbabwe to Switzerland to Zambia and, finally, the United States, graphic designer and educator Chaz Maviyane-Davies pushes the boundaries of social justice through his work.

Karin Fong is a founding member of Imaginary Forces and the designer behind a long list of stellar film titles and ads. Ideas, concepts and storytelling form the building blocks for her innovative motion work.

Creative mastermind John C Jay moves seamlessly across disciplines in an impossibly broad world of art and commerce, excelling at just about everything he touches, from photography to creative direction for music projects and urban revitalization.

Garland Kirkpatrick, founder of the social-design consultancy Helvetica Jones, grew up in Chicago in the 1960s, where the dichotomy of the city's racial politics and its sublime architecture had a profound impact on him and helped drive him toward a career in design.