Next Generation

Through fuseproject, the design and branding firm he founded in 1999, Yves Behar has quickly gained notoriety for radically innovating the products of such giants as Herman Miller, Nike, Birkenstock, and even Microsoft. But Behar views his role as reaching far beyond mere product improvement. Fuseproject's responsibility is to influence how design permeates culture. In a world where gadgetry is ubiquitous and at times overbearing, Behar envisions a future in which technology can be present when consumers want it to be - and invisible when they choose to be free of it. Other rising stars who are charting the future of design are profiled. They are: 1. Kathleen Brandenburg, principal and cofounder of IA Collaborative, 2. Geoff McFetridge, founder of Champion Graphics, and 3. Angela Shen-Hsieh, president and CEO of Visual I/O.