Nishat Akhtar of Instrument on the Virtues of Versatility

Be curious, adaptable and willing to experiment

Nishat is a designer, artist and educator who has helped shape the images of Google, Nike, Adobe and Amazon. As CCO at Instrument, she guides storytelling and creative experimentation. Outside of work, she maintains an active art practice, collaborating with The New York Times, Adobe and the ACLU. She also shares her perspective through talks and workshops worldwide.

We spent two minutes with Nishat to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired. 

Nishat, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in the Philadelphia area—Go Birds! Philly has been a big part of who I am and continues to shape me today. I now live in Portland, Ore., which I consider to be one of the richest creative communities in the U.S.

How you first realized you were creative.

As a kid, I was always drawing—constantly filling pages with comics, characters and imagined worlds. Storytelling became my favorite way to explore ideas and connect with others. That creative obsession carried me into adulthood.

Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.

My inspiration almost always comes from life—whether wandering through a bookstore, spending time in an art gallery or simply noticing the details of everyday experiences. I’m especially inspired by illustrators who are also graphic novelists. I’ve been drawn to Lale WestVind’s work because they build a world and tell a story in a vibrant way, reimagining the graphic novel as a work of art.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

The spirit of Instrument’s rebrand from a few years ago continues to carry forward. It was a new look and a system constantly in motion. That openness inspired us to develop tools that let anyone co-create typographic animations and designs with no formal training required. The most rewarding part is seeing people make the work their own. That shifted the brand from something we control to something we share, which we’ve started to do in our public playground space.

Your main strength as a creative person.

Versatility. I can work in just about any medium, whether pixels, pencils, a sewing machine or a wood shop. Creativity isn’t tied to one tool or format. It’s about being curious, adaptable and willing to experiment until the idea comes to life.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

Teaching art. No question about it.