5 Modern Design Icons You Should Know

From the photographer who shaped how mid-century architecture was communicated to the furniture designer whose work is synonymous with the "space-age pop" aesthetic, we profile five icons you should know. Slideshow

Eero Aarnio

Eero Aarnio’s persistent quest for functional forms and manufacturing processes has been at the center of his iconic and prolific career. He gained notoriety in the early ’60s, coinciding with an era of political progressivism, economic expansion, and rapid urbanization and industrialization in Finland. Aarnio's Ball chair catapulted him to international fame; however, the designer’s consistent pursuit of simplicity and functionality has made him a timeless, and tireless, innovator.