A native Londoner, Opara studied design at the London College of Printing and Yale University, and began his career working at firms ATG, Imaginary Forces, and 2×4 before founding his own practice, The Map Office, in 2005. Within a matter of years, Opara was tapped to join the global, multidisciplinary design studio Pentagram as a partner at its New York offices, where he currently leads an array of projects with clients including Samsung, Lululemon, The New Republic, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Over the years, he’s grown to appreciate and incorporate more colour in his work, whether it be for digital, motion, print, exhibition, software, branding, or a combination of them. His 2014 book, Color Works: An Essential Guide to Understanding and Applying Color Design Principles, offers a comprehensive reference for using colour in design, featuring case studies with leading designers in the field.