The first season of “Abstract: The Art of Design” reinvented the “here’s how a creative person creates” doco, with nifty visuals, rapid cuts, the interposing of technical and personal, and a sophisticated viewpoint. Not all the eight episodes engaged me but that was simply because I found a few of the domains of the particular artists/designers/creators to hold less interest. Season 2 ups the ante and is a mind-engaging delight from start to end. If anything, the high-end quality and dramatization, by a consistent, intelligent team of directors, excels beyond Season 1’s on-screen impact. We pursue the output and inner creative processes of eight fascinating creators: an architect, a bio-architect (yes, there is something called that), a costume designer (how did they manage to intrigue me with that?), a toy designer, a Web interface designer, and a typeface designer (could there be anything more nerdy?). If you have a creative bone in your body, “Abstract” is essential, thoroughly modern viewing.
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